“Reports & Events” is a monthly tip sheet for the news media that highlights selected meetings of interest and reports from the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

Selected Events in February 2021

All facilities of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine are closed. All gatherings have been converted to virtual meetings. Click on each event title below to access meeting details, an agenda, and registration information, or contact the Office of News and Public Information (e-mail news@nas.edu). Reporters should register for all meetings. More events can be found at https://www.nationalacademies.org/events.

Assessment of NIH Research on Autoimmune Diseases
Feb. 1 and 2
More than 100 conditions, many rare, are considered an autoimmune disease. This virtual workshop will inform a consensus study that is assessing NIH research activities on autoimmune diseases. Experts from select NIH institutes will present their progress in autoimmune disease research, and representatives from several autoimmune diseases organizations will discuss pressing scientific and research gaps.

Options for Reducing Lead Emissions from Piston-Engine Aircraft
Feb. 2
This webinar will discuss approaches for reducing lead emissions from gasoline-powered aircraft, the single largest emitter of lead in the United States. The event will also provide a summary of the recently released TRB Special Report 336: Options for Reducing Lead Emissions from Piston-Engine Aircraft.

Environmental Exposures and Mental Health Outcomes
Feb. 2 and 3
This workshop will bring together experts in mental and environmental health to explore the relationship, harmful or beneficial, between environmental factors and mental health. Sessions will discuss new tools to assess mental health effects, vulnerable populations, and public health actions to mitigate mental health impacts.

Ocean Decade: U.S. Launch Meeting
Feb. 3 and 4
This event will feature a presentation of submitted “ocean-shots” that aspire to meet Ocean Decade challenges, an early career professional and U.S. youth advisory council “meet and greet,” ocean-shot e-poster hall, and ocean decade nexus exhibit hall.

PFAS Testing and Health Outcomes
Feb. 4
A National Academies study will provide advice for clinicians about PFAS testing, such as when to test, whom to test, how to test, what to test for, and the risks of testing. In this meeting, the study committee will hear from the Association of Toxic Substances and Disease Registry and the National Toxicology Program.

Transforming the Clinical Trials Enterprise for 2030
Feb. 9
This workshop will consider achievable goals to make clinical trials more inclusive and person-centered, and discuss ways to improve public engagement and partnership. It is the second event in a four-part series on transforming the clinical trials enterprise in the next decade.

Re-envisioning Postdoctoral Training in Neuroscience
Feb. 16
For some researchers, postdoctoral training in neuroscience can be a state of limbo, due to longer training durations, uncertain career prospects, and varied access to mentors. COVID-19 has exacerbated these challenges. This workshop — the fourth in a series — will explore current postdoctoral training models in neuroscience and consider opportunities to meet evolving needs in the field.

Caring for People with Serious Illness in the Home: Lessons from the COVID-19 Pandemic
Feb. 16
Caring for someone with serious illness in the home is even harder since COVID-19 emerged. In addition to the responsibilities of caregiving, families must take extra precautions to stay healthy and safe. This workshop will explore best practices and lessons learned during the pandemic for caring for people with serious illness in the home. Speakers will discuss the challenges of providing palliative care and hospice care, strategies to reach people with serious illness living in rural communities, and opportunities for telehealth.

Evolving the Culture of Science and Training in Neuroscience
Feb. 22
This virtual workshop — the fifth and final in a series on the future of neuroscience training — will consider how the culture of science and scientific training can become more inclusive, balanced, and adaptive to changing times. Discussion topics will include redefining the metrics of success in science; how training can support collaboration and interdisciplinary research; and models of training and career structures that promote life balance and mental health and well-being.

Innovation in Drug Research and Development for Prevalent Chronic Diseases
Feb. 22
Half of all Americans live with at least one chronic disease, such as heart disease, cancer, or diabetes. Yet research and development investment in these leading causes of death and disability has not kept pace with the public health need. This public workshop will examine bottlenecks to innovation in R&D for prevalent chronic diseases and opportunities to incentivize research.

Incorporating the One Health Approach in Preparedness and Response Efforts for Infectious Disease Outbreaks
Feb. 23-25
One Health is a multisector approach that recognizes the health of humans, animals, and ecosystems are interconnected. Experts will discuss how they’re currently using One Health approaches in national and local public health efforts, including those in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. They will also examine data sharing within a One Health context, opportunities to engage public and private organizations, and priorities for strengthening the global health workforce with One Health capabilities.

Reports Scheduled for Release in February

Release dates for the following consensus reports and proceedings from the National Academies depend on successful completion of the review process and publishing schedules. Reporters who would like to be notified when a report is due for release should contact the Office of News and Public Information (e-mail news@nas.edu) and ask to be placed on a contact list.

Accelerating Decarbonization in the United States Energy System
CO2 is the largest driver of climate change and the greenhouse gas most intimately integrated into the U.S. economy and way of life. This report examines technologies, policies, and societal factors needed for decarbonization and recommends research and policy needs, focusing on actions for the next 10 years to reach net-zero CO2 emissions from the energy system by 2050. Register here for the report public briefing.

Care Interventions for Individuals with Dementia and Their Caregivers
Research on care interventions for individuals with Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias, as well as on interventions to support their caregivers, has expanded tremendously in recent years. This report will assess the quality of existing evidence and make recommendations on whether certain interventions work and are ready for broad dissemination and implementation.

Diagnosing and Treating Adult Cancers
This report will explore how impairments from cancer and its treatment can affect function and the ability to work. It will also describe the current state of diagnosis, treatment, and prognosis of adult cancers, with a focus on breast cancer and lung cancer.

Global Change Research: Needs and Opportunities
Provides high-level guidance on research priorities for the U.S. Global Change Research Program and identifies the most critical global change risks and uncertainties facing the nation and the world in the next five to 10 years.

Implications of Discarded Weight-Based Drugs
Every year, millions of dollars are wasted on unused drugs, because the medicines come in single-use vials that must be discarded for safety reasons. This report will identify ways to avoid waste in the first place through changes to the current systems in which drugs are developed, administered, and financed. It will also explore the financial implications of discarded weight-based drugs.

Review of EPA’s TSCA Systematic Review Guidance Document
Reviews EPA’s guidance document Application of Systematic Review in TSCA [Toxic Substances and Control Act] Risk Evaluations and associated materials to determine whether the agency’s process is comprehensive, workable, objective, and transparent.

Review of the Revised NTP Monograph on Fluoride Exposure and Neurodevelopmental and Cognitive Health Effects
Reviews the revised version of the National Toxicology Program’s (NTP) draft monograph Systematic Review of Fluoride Exposure and Neurodevelopmental and Cognitive Health Effects and whether the changes made by NTP sufficiently address concerns about the original draft.

Strategies for Building COVID-19 Vaccine Confidence
This rapid expert consultation will offer strategies and guidance to local, state, and federal decision-makers to encourage increased uptake and confidence in COVID-19 vaccines. Based on findings from social science, the consultation explores when, how, and who to prioritize as leaders work to address vaccine hesitancy.

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