NICHD’s Population Dynamics Branch supports research on a range of topics, including the factors that make populations rise and fall, such as fertility and mortality. We checked in with branch chief Rebecca Clark to learn more about the branch’s work.
News
NICHD issues News Releases and Media Advisories to the news media. Spotlight and Research Feature articles explain NICHD research findings and public health issues to the general public. An Item of Interest is a short announcement of relevant information, such as a notable staff change.
In Search of Answers for Those Struggling With Infertility
During National Infertility Awareness Week 2015, Dr. Alan Guttmacher explores the latest research in an article in the Huffington Po
Research Network Helps HIV-Infected Youth
The ATN is a research network devoted to the wellbeing of youth 12 to 24 years old who are HIV-infected or are at risk of infection. The network comprises 14 clinical sites that conduct research and provide adolescents with treatment and support. It is funded by the NICHD, as well as the National Institute on Drug Abuse and the National Institute of Mental Health, two other NIH components.
NIH-sponsored study identifies superior drug regimen for preventing mother-to-child HIV transmission
For HIV-infected women in good immune health, taking a three-drug regimen during pregnancy prevents mother-to-child HIV transmission more effectively than taking one drug during pregnancy, another during labor and two more after giving birth, an international clinical trial has found.
June Wrap-Up: Promoting Men’s Health
During June—Men’s Health Month—the NICHD focused on encouraging men to make their health a priority.
New Research on Male Contraceptive Methods
Contraception allows couples to prevent pregnancy or better control the timing of when they conceive. The NICHD’s Contraceptive Discovery and Development Branch (CDDB) supports research on new contraceptive methods, for women and for men, to meet the diverse needs of individuals throughout their reproductive lives.
Men’s Health is the Focus in June
On average, men die about five years earlier than women and have higher mortality rates from some cancers and heart disease, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). It’s important, then, that men talk to their health care providers about what types of preventive medical tests and activities they need to stay healthy.
Dr. Lisa Halvorson New Chief of Gynecologic Health and Disease Branch
Lisa M. Halvorson, M.D., has been named the new Chief of the Gynecologic Health and Disease Branch (GHDB), effective June 15, 2014, announced Dr. Catherine Spong, M.D., Director of the Division of Extramural Research.
NIH research network finds many youth have high levels of HIV
More than 30 percent of young males who had sex with other males and who were subsequently enrolled in a government treatment and research network were found to have high levels of HIV, reported researchers from the National Institutes of Health and other institutions.
Increased risk of neurological, cognitive deficits in youth with HIV
More than 65 percent of HIV-infected youth had mild to moderate impairments in fine-motor skills, memory, and other cognitive skills, although not enough to affect day-to-day functioning for most, according to a National Institutes of Health network study.
Anti-HIV drugs may protect against puberty delays in HIV-infected children
For children who have been HIV-infected since birth, current anti-HIV drug regimens may protect against the delays in puberty that had been seen in HIV-infected children taking older regimens, according to researchers funded by the National Institutes of Health.
Division of Epidemiology, Statistics, and Prevention Research 2012 Annual Report
The Division’s 2012 Annual Report highlights the extensive and comprehensive work of DESPR investigators and researchers.
Anti-HIV therapy appears to protect children’s hearts, NIH network study shows
For children who have had HIV-1 infection since birth, the combination drug therapies now used to treat HIV appear to protect against the heart damage seen before combination therapies were available, according to researchers in a National Institutes of Health network study.
Harnessing Research to Combat Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
Millions of people around the world are affected by STDs and sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Although some of these infections have few or minor symptoms, others can cause infertility and cancer, or—in the case of untreated HIV infection—death.
Scientific Vision: The Next Decade
On December 5, 2012, the NICHD released the Scientific Vision: The Next Decade, the culmination of a collaborative process that began in 2011 to identify the most promising scientific opportunities for the Institute and the research community to pursue over the next decade. The Vision statement was made available during the NICHD’s 50th anniversary colloquium.
NICHD reorganizes extramural program
Alan Guttmacher, M.D., Director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) announced a number of changes to streamline the institute’s organizational structure and accelerate the exchange of scientific ideas.
NICHD vision statement now available online
A document charting a research course for the many collaborators who share an interest in promoting the science concerning human development through the life span, child health, women's health, and rehabilitation research is now available online.
Research for a Lifetime: Commemorating the NICHD’s 50th Anniversary
As the Institute marks its golden anniversary, we look back on the NICHD's early years, its scientific accomplishments, and its future.
20 percent of youth with HIV didn’t know they were infected at first sexual experience
Roughly 20 percent of youth who have had HIV since birth did not know their HIV status when they first became sexually active, according to a study by a National Institutes of Health-supported research network.
HPV vaccine may benefit HIV-infected women
Women with HIV may benefit from a vaccine for human papillomavirus (HPV), despite having already been exposed to HPV, a study finds. Although many may have been exposed to less serious forms of HPV, more than 45 percent of sexually active young women who have acquired HIV appear never to have been exposed to the most common high-risk forms of HPV, according to the study from a National Institutes of Health research network.