Minutes of Advisory Committee for Biology and Medicine 27TH Meeting Held at University of Rochester, New York May 18 and 19, 1951

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ADVISORY COMMITTEE FOR BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER Rochester, New York

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Advisory Committee f o r Biology and Medicine The twenty-seventh meeting of the Advisory Committee for Ijiology and Medicine was held atthe University of Rochester, Rochester, New York on May 18 and 19, 1951 with all members of the Committee Members of Committee Dr. Alan Gregg, Chairman bivision of Biology

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Dr. Henry A . Blair, Director of the AEC p to j ect welcomed the Committee tothe University of Rochester, A planned itinerary which included an inspection of the various laboratories impressed the Committee with the importance and quality of the research being undertaken. The Committee commended the site-planning and the construction of the building which houses t h e project,. EZ Za tory Dr, De S. Anthony, Director of the Mound Biological Program reviewed the progress that has been made during the past year a t the laboratory. program o f the Knolls Laboratory. The Chairman convened the meeting a t 960 a.m. The first order of business presented tothe Committee was a discussion of the minutes of the meeting held a t t h e AEC in Washington, D, C, on March 9 and 10, 1951. The minutes were approved unanimously upon a motion by Dr, Wearn and Dr. Stern. Research proposalsapproved and declined since VZEX3. Use the meeting held i n January =re discussed by Drs, Only) Pearson, Dunham, Claus and Zelle. I n connection with this discussion, and to facilitate the study of the work being undertaken on the projects,the Committee

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recommended t h a t the subject of research be more clearly defined by s pcc if ic ally describing the work of each project. They also recommended that in reporting contracts :renewed o r approved that such contracts be listed in the following order: new projects first, followed by renewa1s;within the new and renewal category, list the projects in order of priority, and projects which show the most promise. It was stated that this information would be valuable tothe Committee in reviewing the list and i.rill afford them a method of approach in the* review. further recommended that after the investigator ' s name it should be indicated precisely where the work is being'undertaken, Le., University of California, Berkeley or Los Angeles. The Committee stated also that it should be indicated on the list of projects uhether o r not the investigator i s conducting any graduate work in connection with h i s AEC contract. They felt very strongly that this is the chief justifi cation for off-site research work. (A list of these projects is attached tothe minutes as Addendum #1) The Committee concurred in the action of the Division i n approving the above projects, and they were of the opinion that proposals were declined i n accordance with general policies of the Division of Biology and Nedicine,

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Dr. James H i Sterner outlined the Industrial Medicine Fellowship Program, were two Fellows i'n ths program this year. inquiries and thirty applications for fellowships have been received fm t h e coming year, individuals have been accepted for the program and eight Fellowships awarded. He stated further that it appeared desirable that training be broadened t o include other schools besides Rochester and Pittsburgh. This has been done and the e i g h t accepted applicants me now being distributed between Harvard, Rochester, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh, bducation in the field of occupational medicine now consists of one year of academic and clinical training and one year of in-plant present tm-year program because of need in the field for next year or two. h. Sterner was of the opinion that in the near future fellowships should be extended to a three-year %aim'and then an approved course should Ye stated that there No immediate change i s forecast inthe lead to certification in field of occupational medicine, Dr. &egg suggested thata statement should be prepared for publication i n ltDiplornqtet1l is ting the advantages of a career in industrial medicine. The Committee was i n agreement with the reconmendation made by Dr.Sterner that there should be a rotation of Chairmanship of the Fellowship Committee.

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Review of Dr. Warren advised the Committee that the House Appropriations Committee had recommended a reduction of Biology and tkdicine. inthe F.Y. 1952 Budget of the Division He stated that this reduction, i f not reinstated, would require curtailment of the basic research program. It was his opinion that this reduction by the House was aimed a t so-called Ilpeacetime research" as differentiated from programmatic work. The Committee was deeply concerned over the reduction and i t s implications. After a full discussion the Committee strongly recommended thata statement should be sent to the Commission urging them to take whatever action is necessary t o insure the full accomplishment of the Divisionls fundamental program f o r F.Y. 1952. Mr. Brown reported on the relative advantages and disadvantages of t h e Grants-in-kid contracts as systems f o r conducting basic research. sion, the Committee recommended that the contract form of proposal be continued because of its flexibility, its similarity toa Grant-in-Aid, and the appropriateness of the term flcontractlfwfth respect tothe uniformity inits administration throughout AEC areas They further recommended a

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The Committee considered the nominees t o take the place of Dr. Detlcv W. bonk who is retiring as a member of the Committee a t the end of the fiscal that an appointment should be proffered toDr. Gioacchino Fail la of Columbia University, effective It was the recommendation of the Committee -s Dr. Bugher summarized his report on his recent visit to the Atomic Bomb Casualty Commission operating a t Hiroshima and Nagasaki, Japan; conferences with most of the staff members and a survey of a l l the properties owned or under the control Bugher'for the continuance of the program a r e as followsz The report covered The recommendations made by Dr. 1. Continue the fundamental program f o r both Hiroshima and Nagasaki on the basis of the operating budget of Appendix I of the report, 2, Place the authority and t h e responsibility for the field operation i n the hands of the Director. Decide the broad scientific objectives and general policies at the Washington level, but leave the de tdl s of application t o the discretion of the only individual competent t o make the decisions: i n Japan. the Project Director 3. Build two additional structures a t Hijiyama for ' scientific services, two EKQs for male and female American personnel, and one EKQ f o r Japanese medicdl the level not t o exceed $400,000, Plans and estimates have been drawn a t 4. Upon completion of the new buildings a t Hijiyama, centralize all functions a t the laboratory and discont tinue mass commuting t o Kure and Hiro. All activity

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a t Kure, such as d pendent health, could then be for the present would have t o remain a t Kure(North Camp), It is recognized that some families 5. Consolidate the departments into the organizat ional plan proposed by Dr. Grant Taylor; that is, five divisions--administrative, clinical, laboratories, pathology, and technical services, Naticinals or re-instated American citizens as rapidly as possible consistent w%th contractual obligations. The American clerical personnel would then be entirely 6 , Replace American clerical personnel by Japanese 7. Leave any assurances t o Japanese staff concerning research time to the discretion of t h e Director. Japanese staff needs basic training and is not yet competent t o do independent research. 8. Continue the adult and pediatric programs, but confine them tothe most highly irradiated populat ions at Hiroshima and Nagasaki. 9. Through constant contact with the hospitals and clinics, screen the two populations by observations of significantly ill persons. permit t h e recognition of important disturbances of low probability and ata minimum of cost. This procedure will 10. Encourage and support the local Japanese activity in vital statistics to maintain a check on the clinical observations. 11. Greatly increase the activity in pathology a t both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, utilizing and assisting the facilities of Nagasaki Medical School, and developing the interest and cooperation of the Japanese Pathological Society along the lines already initiated. 12. Terminate the studies on the growth and development of children under Dr. Greulichcs program, 13: Discontinue irrelevant departments such a s surgery, and obstetrics and gynecology. 14, Continue operational association with the National Institute of Health, but also establish an association with the Japan Science Council. T h i s may be initiated by the National Academy of Sciences.

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15. Obtain frdm t h e Japanesc Government (through NIH following termination of the Occupation) partial support of the projject i n the form of income tax exemption for American professional staff, rail transportation, and duty exemption for importing scientific equipment and personal effects of staff members. "he yen values of these facilities should be accounted as a direct contribution by the Japanese Governmm tr 16. Maintain both financial and scientific planning five years i n advance of current dates. 17. Simplify the Washington administration, setting up an Executive Officer and a combined NAS-AEC who would also be responsible f o r suggesting candidates for staff positions. The detailed accounting can be done a t Hiroshima so that the Washington accounting function would be that of audit, activity could be handled by the New York Operatians Establish a group of consultants The Committee expressed enthusiasm over t h e report as they f d t it was an outstanding document and afine analysis of the program and agreed that certain phases of the mrk i n Japan should be continued, They further recommended that t h i s action should be forwarded to the Commission for their considerdion, (A copy of the full report is on f i l e i n the Division of Biology and Medicine,) Dr. Warren leda brief discussion on Operation Greenhouse in which Drs. Pearson, Dunham and Bugher participated, Commendations were expressed of the efficiency with which D r . George LeRoy carried out the available about August 1st. A full report i s expected t o be

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study and stzted thqt the National Cancer Institute has an advisory committee on radiation biology which have been appointed by the N I H t o assist the Nation& Cancer Institute With the selection of research projects for the sub-human primate study. The Committee is composed oft Dr. Pearson summarized the Fellowship program since its inception in 1947-48. He stated that 650 fellows had been given awards.which included fellows in the physical sciences as well as those i n the biological and medical sciences. It was the sense of the committee that the Fellowship program had materially aided the Commission w i t h their research problems by training young scientists f o r work in the laboratories and institutions. The transfer of the Felloarship program tothe National Science Foundation was discussed. The members of the committee were i n agreement that such a transfer would be advisable a t the close of the academic year 1951-52 with the exception of Industrial Medicine Fellows and Health-Physics Fellows who need specialized training i n AEC laboratories.

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Dr. Gregg and Dr.Stern advised the Committee that they would be out of the country until thc spring of 1952, and therefore, they muld be unable t o attend any meetings until that time. The next meeting of the Committee i s scheduled t o be held atthe AEC i n Washington, D. C. on #l- List of Projects ( Page 1 through 22) #2 - Letter t o Chairman, AEC from Chairman, kCl3M