NIDA hosted an orientation on Friday, October 28, 2005, for the 2005-2006 NIDA INVEST and Hubert H. Humphrey Drug Abuse Research Fellows. The group met with Ms. Dale Weiss, NIDA International Program Analyst; former NIDA Humphrey Fellow and Distinguished International Scientist Dr. Petra Exnerova, NIDA Division of Epidemiology, Services and Prevention Research; and with program officers who work with the Fellows’ U.S. mentors. The Fellows also toured the National Library of Medicine and the Fogarty International Center.
The NIDA INVEST Fellows included Dr. Oscar Quintela, Spain, and Dr. Tsafrir Loebl, Israel. Dr. Quintela met with Dr. J. Michael Walsh, The Walsh Group, and Dr. Loebl met with Dr. Betty Tai, NIDA Center for the Clinical Trials Network. Ten Hubert H. Humphrey Fellows from Johns Hopkins University participated in the NIDA orientation. Dr. Anna Tkachenko, Russia, and Ms. Nataliya Vlasova, Ukraine, met with Dr. Peter Hartsock, NIDA Division of Epidemiology, Services and Prevention Research. Dr. Fadi Hammal, Syria, met with Dr. Allison Chausmer, NIDA Division of Basic Neuroscience and Behavioral Research. Ms. Alexandra Hill, El Salvador, met with Ms. Ana Anders, NIDA Special Populations Office. Dr. Danesh Gupta, India, met with Dr. Larry Seitz, NIDA Division of Epidemiology, Sciences and Prevention Research. Dr. Abdallah Mansour, Egypt, met with Dr. Ahmed Elkashef, NIDA Division of Pharmacotherapies and Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse. Dr. Stephen Nsimba, Tanzania, met with Dr. Jerry Flanzer, NIDA Division of Epidemiology, Services and Prevention Research. Dr. Benjamin Oaikhena, Nigeria, met with Dr. Lois Cohen, Office of International Health, National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Dr. Islam Miftari, Kosovo, and Ms. Patricia Schmid, Brazil, met with Dr. Exnerova.
1st row standing (left to right): Nataliya Vlasova from Ukraine; Anna Tkachenko from Russia; Benjamin Oaikhena from Nigeria; Nancy Young, Humphrey Fellowship Coordinator, Johns Hopkins University, USA; Alexandra Hill from El Salvador; Tsafrir Loebl from Israel; Patricia Schmidt from Brazil; and Fadi Hammal from Syria.
2nd row (left to right): Dhanesh Kumar Gupta from India; Abdallah Hassan Mansour from Egypt; Stephen Elias Nsimba from Tanzania; Islam Miftari from Kosovo; and Oscar Quintela from Spain.