Director’s Messages
Assembling the Right Ingredients for Nutrition and Good Health
September 29, 2023
Traditionally, knowing how to procure and prepare safe, nutritious, and palatable food is learned at home. Unfortunately, this knowledge is becoming less and less passed down through the generations. Fast food, ready-made meals, and “takeout” have become so convenient—and families rely on them so much—that many children today, and even in previous generations, have grown up without learning how to cook. These factors are among the many fueling high rates of obesity and poor nutritional status in the United States, and associated chronic conditions linked to poor nutrition, like type 2 diabetes, hyperlipidemia, and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. Read more
Latest Messages From the Director
Article Spotlights an Often-Neglected Part of the Body
September 27, 2023
I was so pleased to speak recently with The New York Times reporter, Danielle Friedman, for her recent story on fascia, “The Tissue That Connects Our Muscles May Be a Key to Better Health.” The role of fascia in how our bodies function and the impact on our health is a topic that hasn’t gotten enough attention, but that is beginning to change, and it’s encouraging to have a thoughtful discussion on this subject.As Ms. Friedman explained, fascia is “the tough, flexible tissue that surrounds and connects muscles, bones, and organs like cling wrap.” I’m proud of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health’s work to advance research on this significant yet understudied part of our bodies. Read more
Including Spirituality Into a Fuller Picture of Research on Whole Person Health
August 18, 2023
Does health have a spiritual dimension? Read more
Funding Opportunity for Research on Myofascial Pain Biomarkers
August 8, 2023
I’m writing today to flag an important funding opportunity related to research on myofascial tissues and their role in musculoskeletal pain. Read more
Past Messages From the Director
- An Opportunity To Weigh In and Advance Whole Person Research
April 19, 2022 - Stepping Outside Helps Make Connections
March 30, 2022 - Pragmatic Trials Deepen Real-World Understanding of Health Interventions
February 24, 2022 - Opportunities for Restoring Whole Joint Health
February 2, 2022 - Tackling the Challenges of 2022
January 21, 2022 - New Opportunities for Advancing Pain Science
December 30, 2021 - Pausing for Health Equity: The Role of Mindfulness in Fostering Dialogue and Action
December 29, 2021 - Taking Inspiration From a True Leader
December 17, 2021 - Vaccines and Complementary Health: It’s “And” Not “Or”
November 2, 2021 - Building the Methodological Infrastructure for Whole Person Research
September 17, 2021 - Food for Thought: Expanding Our Nutrition Research Portfolio
September 2, 2021 - Coming Soon—A Funding Opportunity on Biomarkers for Myofascial Pain
August 19, 2021 - Please Share Your Thoughts on the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H)
July 23, 2021 - Upcoming Events: Moving the Strategic Plan Forward
July 19, 2021 - NIH Strategically, and Ethically, Building a Bridge to AI (Bridge2AI)
April 7, 2021 - One Year of Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics, and Anticipating New Challenges
April 5, 2021