The National Academies

04/01/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/01/2024 11:21

Reports & Events Monthly Calendar - April 2024

"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 April 2024
Click on each event title below to access meeting details, an agenda, and registration information, or contact the Office of News and Public Information (email [email protected]). Reporters should register for all meetings. Find more National Academies events at https://www.nationalacademies.org/events.

Managing Privacy and Confidentiality Risks with Blended Data
April 1
Protecting privacy and ensuring confidentiality in data are critical components of modernizing the national data infrastructure. Experts will discuss a recent National Academies report that provides a framework for managing disclosure risks that accounts for the unique attributes of blended data.

Why Demography Matters for Democracy, Rights, and Governance
 April 2
A Jefferson Science Fellow at the National Academies, Loretta Bass will discuss demographic research findings that inform democracy, human rights, and governance work. Bass is a social demographer who publishes on inequality issues, migration, fertility autonomy, and civil and human rights and an applied research scientist in the USAID's Bureau for Democracy, Rights, and Governance.

AI and the Future of Front-Line Work
April 2
AI-enabled technology is reshaping the workplace, but the impact of technology is often discussed for those in the office, and not as often for those on the front line in sectors such as retail, health care, construction, and food services. This webinar will discuss how front-line workers' jobs will be reshaped, and the research needed to enhance understanding of AI as a workplace partner.

Artificial Intelligence and Automated Laboratories for Biotechnology
April 3 and 4
This workshop will discuss the use of AI and automated laboratories (also referred to as cloud labs, automated experimentation, and "self-driving" labs) for biotechnology. Experts will consider opportunities to leverage AI and laboratory automation capabilities for discovery and preventing the misuse of biotechnology.

Health Disparities in the Medical Record and Disability Determinations
April 4 and 5
This workshop will explore how people facing barriers to accessing medical care - such as low-income, homeless, or racial and ethnic minority populations - and the variety in their experiences with the medical system may impact their health status, medical records, and disability determinations.

Why Indoor Chemistry Matters: Reaching Communities for Action
April 10
At this workshop, experts will explore various ways of improving indoor air quality in homes and public settings. Their discussion will focus on data analysis and public health messaging, understanding behaviors, navigating indoor air quality standards, and collaboration for impactful action.

Evolving Technological, Legal and Social Solutions to Counter Disinformation in Social Media
April 10 and 11
This workshop will feature two days of interactive brainstorming to foster new research and collaborations and build implementable solutions for a comprehensive approach to mitigating disinformation and its detrimental effects.

Gaps in Smart Mobility Solutions
April 11
Modern transportation technologies are sometimes inaccessible to people with disabilities, underscoring the need to ensure transportation systems are inclusionary by working with people from diverse backgrounds when planning, designing, and implementing smart mobility solutions. This webinar will present experiences that highlight accessibility issues and examples of policies to alleviate those issues.

Innovation in Technologies for Preventing, Treating, and Managing Traumatic Brain Injury
April 15
This workshop will explore the landscape of new tools and technologies to prevent, diagnose, treat, and manage recovery from TBIs, and aim to better understand significant needs, recent progress, near-term opportunities, and challenges to innovation in this space.

Community Driven Relocation
April 19
More than 200 billion-dollar disasters have occurred in the Gulf Coast region between 1980 and 2023. This meeting with community members, local officials, and experts will dive into a recent report examining how people and infrastructure relocate, community input's role in planning processes, and the prioritization of well-being and equitable decision-making.

Earth Day Heroes 2024
April 20
At the historic National Academy of Sciences building on Constitution Avenue, families and children can explore five rooms that reveal the wonders of Earth. Through interactive exhibits and activities, each visitor can grow their appreciation for our planet, learn about science, and become an Earth Day Hero.

Filling Research Gaps at the Intersection of Climate Change, Health, and Equity
April 22
This workshop will focus on research gaps and effective interventions to adapt to and mitigate climate's impact on health and equity in communities. Panelists from various research fields will share their work related to the impacts of climate change on health, such as air pollution, mental health, maternal/reproductive health, food insecurity, and climate migration.

AI in Drug Design: Clinical Drug Development
April 23
The second in a series, this webinar will feature a presentation from Marinka Zitnik, assistant professor at Harvard in the Department of Biomedical Informatics. Her presentation will focus on using AI for clinical drug development in matching candidate drugs to patient benefits, predicting drug safety, finding potential drug combinations, and identifying promising drug repurposing opportunities.

Addressing Environmental Damage in Ukraine
April 24
This workshop aims to gain a better understanding of the scope of the environmental damage resulting from Russia's invasion of Ukraine and identify opportunities for science and technology to address the impacts. Participants will examine and assess environmental damage in different areas and the impact on water, energy, public health, land, and biodiversity, as well as discuss the challenges posed by demining and risks to nuclear and other energy facilities.

NAS Annual Meeting
April 26-28 and 30
Events for the 161st annual meeting of the National Academy of Sciences include an induction ceremony for members elected in 2023, a ceremony to honor the 2023 award recipients, an address to members by NAS President Marcia McNutt, a symposium on artificial intelligence and scientific discovery, and a science program that highlights groundbreaking research by members who were elected in 2023. Each of these events will be webcast. New NAS members will also be elected; election results will be available online by 3 p.m. EDT on April 30. Reporters should register in advance with the Office of News and Public Information to receive the list of new members via e-mail or to attend any of the public sessions in person.

Essential Health Care Services Related to Anxiety and Mood Disorders in Women
April 29 and 30
Presentations and discussions at this workshop will examine essential health care services for anxiety and mood disorders in women, as well as ways to prepare for and prioritize these services. The workshop will also explore health disparities related to anxiety and mood disorders.

Reports Scheduled for Release in April

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 [email protected]) and ask to be placed on a contact list.

Advancing Clinical Research with Pregnant and Lactating Women
Approximately 3.5 million women in the U.S. give birth each year, and 70 percent take at least one prescription medication during their pregnancy. Frequently, they have to make treatment decisions without an adequate understanding of the benefits and risks of drugs and medical interventions to themselves and their fetus or newborn baby, because pregnant and lactating women are often excluded from clinical trials due to concerns about legal liability. This report will provide findings about the liability concerns of including these populations in clinical trials, and offer recommendations for safely and ethically including pregnant and lactating women in research.

A New Vision for High-Quality Preschool Curriculum
This report will review preschool curriculum quality, with special attention to the needs of Black and Latino children, dual-language learners, children with special needs, and children experiencing poverty, and provide recommendations to support equitable curriculum development, selection, funding, and implementation.

Supporting Family Caregivers in STEMM: A Call to Action
This report will provide guidance on how to implement policies and programs to support the retention, reentry, and advancement of students and professionals working in science, engineering, and medicine who have family caregiving responsibilities.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES FOR REPORTERS