As we wrap up our final ODP Updates newsletter of 2024, I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for your dedication to prevention research and support of the NIH mission of turning discovery into health.

We’re excited about the endeavors of the coming year and look forward to continuing to work together to advance research that prevents disease and injury and promotes well-being for all. Wishing you a safe and healthy new year!

ODP and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are seeking innovative community solutions to reduce menthol cigarette smoking among groups with high rates of use, including youth, LGBTQI+ populations, people with lower incomes, and racial and ethnic minorities.

ODP and CDC will award up to nine prizes of $100,000 each to local and state organizations and agencies for promising community-led solutions that address menthol cigarette smoking. These solutions will help inform future federally funded research initiatives or demonstration projects to enhance the evidence base of interventions that can help individuals quit smoking, with a special emphasis on menthol cigarettes. Submissions are due by February 28, 2025, at 11:59 p.m. ET.

If you’re interested in participating in the Challenge but have questions about the process or requirements, join ODP and CDC for a pre-application webinar on December 17, 2024, at 2:00 p.m. ET. We encourage you to email your questions to [email protected] at least 24 hours before the webinar.

NIH has selected 13 established scientists to comprise its third class of Climate and Health Scholars. The purpose of the NIH Climate and Health Scholars Program is to connect climate and health scientists from outside the federal government with NIH researchers to share their knowledge and expertise in this important field. This collaboration is part of the NIH Climate Change and Health Initiative’s (CCHI) efforts to build climate and health training and capacity across NIH. The NIH CCHI aims to lead solutions-focused research to reduce the health consequences associated with extreme weather events and evolving climate conditions.

ODP is hosting Jaime Madrigano, Sc.D., from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, who will bring her expertise in environmental and social determinants of health to the office.

It is with heavy hearts that we share the news of the passing of our long-time colleague and dear friend, Wanda Hill. With over 40 years of dedicated federal service, including her 22 years at ODP since she joined the office in 2002, Wanda quickly became a cornerstone of our staff. Her unwavering commitment and readiness to lend a helping hand made a lasting impact on everyone she worked with.

Before coming to ODP, Wanda supported the Director of the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control at the National Cancer Institute. There, she expertly managed the role of liaison between the Director and other personnel; prepared protocols for numerous studies; and organized essential meetings, conferences, and workshops. Wanda’s attention to detail and skill in fostering connections were evident even then.

At ODP, Wanda served as a Program Support Specialist, helping countless programs run smoothly and offering invaluable support to the entire office. She played an active role in the administration of a multitude of office activities, as well as mentoring, advising, and guiding coworkers through complex tasks and work assignments. Her expertise and patience influenced not only our programs but also the people around her, who felt encouraged and uplifted in her presence.

Working with Wanda was a joy, as seen in the outpouring of positive messages being shared by current and past ODP staff, which reveal just how deeply Wanda touched our lives. Colleagues remember her as “kind,” “patient,” and “cheerful”—qualities she embodied in her work, her interactions with others, and her welcoming smile that brightened the office each day.

Many of us recall Wanda as the first person we met when we joined ODP, and her warm welcome is something we will never forget. But Wanda also became more than a reliable co-worker or source of institutional knowledge for so many of us over the years, though she certainly was those things as well. Wanda was someone you had a cup of coffee with first thing in the morning, when the office was still quiet. She’s someone you traded pictures of family with, tracking the milestones and achievements of children and grandchildren as they grew. Wanda was authentic in everything she did and in every interaction she had with people. You knew she would give you the unvarnished truth, with just the right amount of humor and compassion to make everything okay. And when she asked how you were doing, she asked because she genuinely cared. As one of her colleagues shared, “Everything Wanda did was in the service of others.” At the end of the day, she made people feel that they mattered.

Wanda was also incredibly proud of her family, and she loved to show off pictures and share stories as soon as she was asked.

Wanda’s contributions and her joyful spirit will be greatly missed, but her legacy will continue to inspire us all.