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Litten Named NIAAA Branch Chief

Dr. Raye Litten has been appointed chief of the Treatment Research Branch of NIAAA's Division of Clinical and Prevention Research. Among the areas he will oversee are the development and testing of new medications and psychosocial interventions for alcohol abuse and dependence, and research in such areas as the mechanisms of effective treatments for alcoholism, the factors that influence why and in whom relapse occurs, and treatment of co-existing conditions such as depression, anxiety and nicotine addiction. In his 10 years as a program director in the branch prior to this appointment, Litten's primary focus was medications development, an area whose growth is reflected in the more than 24 pharmacologic trials under way at present, up from roughly a half-dozen clinical studies when he first arrived. For the last 10 years, in addition to his NIH duties, he has taught the pharmacology of drug and alcohol abuse to drug addiction counselors in the Washington area.

Fradkin To Direct NIDDK Division

Dr. Judith E. Fradkin was recently named director of the Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases for the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. The division manages institute-funded research and research training in diabetes; endocrine disorders such as those affecting the thyroid, pituitary, breast, prostate and bone; and inherited metabolic diseases such as cystic fibrosis and lysosomal storage diseases. For the past 16 years, she has overseen NIDDK-supported research in various roles, directing the institute's research programs in diabetes, cystic fibrosis, endocrinology and metabolic diseases, and most recently serving as deputy and acting director of the division. Fradkin came to NIDDK as a clinical associate in 1979 after an endocrinology fellowship at Yale University.

Levine Is CIT Associate Director

Mitchell A. Levine has been named associate director for management in the Office of the Director, Center for Information Technology. Before coming to NIH, he was chief financial officer for the National Transportation Safety Board. There he instituted many improvements to assess financial operations, internal controls and audit ability issues. As assistant commissioner of financial operations at the Department of the Treasury from 1998 to 2000, he headed an effort to begin using the Internet to transact government business. He is the recipient of numerous awards, including the Presidential Rank Award in 1997 for his many significant accomplishments at the Department of the Treasury. He entered government service in 1964 as a management intern with the strategic systems project office, Department of the Navy.

Four Named to NIAID Council

Four people were recently named to the National Advisory Allergy and Infectious Diseases Council, the principal advisory body of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

They are: Dr. William Bertrand, executive director of Payson Center for International Development and Technology Transfer at Tulane University in New Orleans; Charlotte W. Collins, an attorney with Powell, Goldstein, Frazer & Murphy in Washington, D.C.; Dr. Fred Jones, Jr., dean emeritus of the Graduate School at Meharry Medical College in Nashville; and Dr. Gerald L. Mandell, chief of infectious diseases, University of Virginia Health Sciences Center in Charlottesville.

NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci (l) welcomes new advisory council members (from l) Dr. Gerald L. Mandell, Charlotte W. Collins, Dr. Fred Jones, Jr. and Dr. William Bertrand.

Bertrand's expertise covers epidemiology, tropical diseases, economic development, information systems and public health.

Attorney Collins represents public and teaching hospitals, medical colleges, and related associations on health care financing policy initiatives.

In addition to Jones' role as dean emeritus, he is also professor emeritus in the department of microbiology at Meharry. His research interest focused on the pathogenesis of Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Mandell is professor of medicine and the Owen R. Cheatham professor of the sciences at Virginia; his research focuses on phagocytic cells, for which he received a MERIT Award from NIAID.

Vogel Directs NCI Fellowship Office

Dr. Donna L. Vogel recently joined NCI as director of its new Fellowship Office; she heads an office that serves as a focal point for all intramural NCI fellows and acts, in partnership with existing NCI and NIH components, as an innovator to enhance both personal and professional aspects of their fellowship experience. The Fellowship Office will provide referrals and guidance regarding recruitment, training, mentoring, career development and quality of life issues. Vogel joined NCI in January 2001 after having been associate chief for clinical research and training officer of the Reproductive Sciences Branch, NICHD. She first came to NIH as a clinical associate in endocrinology in 1980. She continues to serve as cochair of the research subcommittee of the Office of Research on Women's Health coordinating committee for research on women's health.