NIH Connections

The National Cancer Institute (NCI) is the NIH's principal agency for cancer research, training, and education.  Within the NCI, the National Cancer Program coordinates and supports basic and clinical research to better understand the causes of cancer and to improve the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer.  In keeping with their mission to improve the quality of life of cancer patients and their families , NCI is committed to training the next generation of cancer researchers, incorporating state-of-the-art cancer treatments into clinical care, and supporting the nation's network of cancer centers.

The National Eye Institute (NEI) aims  to protect and prolong the vision of the American people, thus improving the quality of life for people of all ages. NEI's research focuses on how the visual system functions in health and disease, leading to sight-saving treatments that reduce the burden of visual impairment and blindness. In addition, the NEI coordinates the National Eye Health Education program, which disseminates public and professional education programs to help reduce blindness and visual impairment and to promote healthy vision.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) coordinates research, training, and education to promote the prevention and treatment of heart, lung, and blood diseases. The NHLBI supports basic research into the causes of an treatments for these diseases, enabling the translation of basic discoveries into clinical practice.  To help reduce the burden of heart, lung, and blood diseases worldwide, the NHLBI fosters training and mentoring of emerging scientists and physicians and communicates research advances and health education to the public.

The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) led the National Institutes of Health's  contribution to the International Human Genome Project, which  sequenced the full human genome.  Now, the NHGRI continues to support research aimed at understanding the structure and function of the human genome and its role in health and disease.  In addition to training young investigators, the NHGRI also supports research and education that address the ethical, legal and social implications of genome research.

The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) supports basic and clinical research to better understand the biological mechanisms of immunity and to prevent and treat infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases. In an environment of uncertainty, the NIAID's research and dissemination responds to emerging microbial threats such as Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and drug-resistant microbes, maintains aggressive efforts focused on well-known killers such as HIV/AIDS and malaria, and supports the nation's defenses against bioterrorism.

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS) supports research into the causes, treatment, and prevention of arthritis and musculoskeletal and skin diseases, diseases which affect people of all ages, racial and ethnic populations, and economic strata. In addition to supporting investigator-initiated research, the NIAMS also promotes efforts to reduce health disparities in diagnosis and treatment of these diseases, train basic and clinical scientists in these research areas, and educate the public, patients, and health care providers.

The Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) supports research into the entire life process, from preconception through adulthood, to improve the health of children, adults, and communities. In addition to understanding the biological underpinnings of intellectional and developmental disabilities, the NICHD performs and supports behavioral and social science research into all aspects human development.

The mission of the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) is to improve health and quality of life by expanding our scientific understanding of diabetes, endocrine and metabolic diseases, digestive diseases, nutritional disorders, obesity, and kidney, urologic, and hematologic diseases. The NIDDK supports a wide range of biomedical and clinical research, training, and public health initiatives to lessen the burden on diabetes, digestive and kidney diseases nationwide.

In order to promote healthier lives, the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) supports research into how the environment affects our health and disease. The NIEHS conducts and supports innovative research into  environmental triggers of disease, the safety of chemicals and other environmental factors, and mechanisms to prevent and treat environmental exposure.

The National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) supports research that increases scientific understanding of all life processes. In order to support the NIH's cross-cutting clinical research, the NIGMS performs and supports basic research in areas that affect multiple organ systems, encompassing fields such as cell biology, genetics, pharmacology, physiology, biophysics, and computational biology. In addition, NIGMS provides national leadership in training the next generation of scientists as well as in increasing the diversity of the scientific workforce.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) supports basic , clinical and translational research to transform our scientific understanding  of mental illnesses, in order to improve prevention, treatment, and recovery. To further discovery in the evolving sciences of the brain, behavior, and experience, NIMH supports research, education and training in the biomedical and behavioral neurosciences.

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) supports and conducts basic, clinical and translational research on the normal and diseased brain and nervous system, seeking to better understand the origin, diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of neurological disorders, such as stroke. The overarching mission of the NINDS is to reduce the worldwide burden of neurological disease on every age group and every segment of society.

The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) supports and conducts clinical and basic research on health  and illness from pre-birth to death, in order to prevent disease and disability, manage and eliminate symptoms caused by illness, and enhance palliative and end-of-life care.  NINR advances nursing science and health care by integrating biological and behavioral research, applying new technology, promoting health equity, and developing young scientists.

The National Institute on Aging (NIA) supports research to understand the biological mechanisms of aging in order to promote the health and well-being of older Americans.  The NIA conducts genetic, biological, clinical, behavioral, social, and economic research related to the aging process,  as well as diseases and conditions associated with aging.  Notably, the NIA is the NIH's primary agency for Alzheimer's disease research.

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) supports biomedical and behavioral research into hearing, balance, taste, smell, voice, speech, and language in order to better understand the distinctions between normal and disordered sensory processes. The Institute also supports research into biomedical and behavioral problems associated with people who have communication impairments or disorders, efforts to create devices which substitute for lost and impaired sensory and communication function, and training for young scientists in the field.

The National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) supports research to prevent and treat drug abuse and addiction and to mitigate the impact of their consequences, which include the spread of HIV/AIDS and other infectious diseases. NIDA leverages research programs in basic, clinical, and translational neurosciences; social and behavioral therapies; and prevention and health services to increase our scientific understanding of drug abuse and addiction and to address the needs of those affected by these diseases.

The National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparaties (NIMHD) supports research  to improve minority health and reduce health disparities, to ensure that all populations will have an equal opportunity to live long, healthy and productive lives. In addition, the NIMHD trains a diverse research workforce, promotes education and outreach communities, and coordinates and evaluates all minority health and health disparities research within the National Institutes of Health.

At the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, clinicians and investigators translate laboratory discoveries into better diagnoses and treatments to improve the nation's health.  As America's research hospital, the NIH Clinical Center investigates the development and progression of disease; develops new diagnostic, preventive, and therapeutic interventions; ensures that clinical research is safe, efficient, and ethical; and trains the next generation of clinical researchers.