NLM Musings from the Mezzanine
Innovations in Health Information from the National Library of Medicine
Richard Scheuermann, PhD, went from facing a high school counselor’s skepticism about attending MIT to becoming NLM’s premier Scientific Director. Today, his research focuses on using AI to find patterns in information about the millions of cells that make up our bodies to better understand how they work and keep us healthy.
The NLM Division of Extramural Programs supports innovative research and enhancing health through collaborative funding initiatives with other NIH institutes and centers. Their focus on impactful and creative projects positions NLM as a vital research hub for transformative discoveries and a pivotal “home” in the era of AI and machine learning.
Free-text clinical notes capture important details about a patient’s medical history, including critical timing information about symptoms, treatments, and recovery. But finding and structuring this information can be difficult. Dr. Jeremy Weiss and his research team are looking to solve this problem with the help of AI.
ClinicalTrials.gov is celebrating its 25th anniversary! This comprehensive database provides the public with access to clinical trial information on more than 500,000 studies. NLM’s recent modernization efforts ensure the continued value of ClinicalTrials.gov for patients, researchers, and health care providers.
Multiple sclerosis often causes falls, leading to pain, injury, and insecurity. Dr. Riley Bove and her research team, with the support of NLM, developed the mobile app MS-FIT. MS-FIT tracks falls, analyzes health data, and may help clinicians provide personalized strategies to prevent falls.
NLM’s 2025-2026 Associate Fellowship Program invites early- and second-career librarians to enhance their skills through a unique, year-long program. Current fellowship participants discuss their experiences learning about user engagement, data curation, and library services while collaborating with NLM experts. Fellowship applications are open until January 24, 2025.
From artificial intelligence to ClinicalTrials.gov, women’s health research to gut enzymes, we at Musings sure were busy this year! As we ring in the new year, we invite you to reflect on the five posts from 2024 that kept you coming back for more.
TrialGPT is an innovative AI tool developed by NIH that uses large language models to efficiently identify and rank relevant trials for patients based on their medical and demographic data. The goal of TrialGPT is not only to increase patient enrollment in clinical trials, but to also reduce barriers for populations that have traditionally been underrepresented in clinical research.
NIH is committed to making research accessible to all with a new Public Access Policy. The new policy eliminates the twelve-month embargo to accelerate access to published results. This milestone ensures patients, families, and researchers can benefit quickly from discoveries, promoting transparency and equitable access to federally funded research.
For over 50 years, NLM’s G08 grants have supported innovative projects that improve health information management, empower communities, and reduce health disparities. From telephone ECG monitoring to interactive heart-healthy resources, the G08 program continues to drive public health advancements in unique ways.