NIH: Computer Technology Lags Behind Private Sector

      With pharmaceutical and biotechnology companies already using computer analysis and modeling in their genetic research, a federal advisory panel recommended Thursday that the NIH "invest heavily in computer technology and training for government- supported biomedical research," the Los Angeles Times reports. The panel recommended that the training should include "virtually all aspects of medicine" or "risk losing an important edge in scientific advances." The panel calls on NIH to establish as many as 20 training centers, several of which are expected to be located in California, where much of the academic-based research is conducted. "We're not keeping up," said Dr. David Botstein, panel head and chair of the department of genetics at Stanford University Medical School. "It's not enough to teach computer scientists biology; we must teach biologists computer science," he added. The Times reports that NIH Director Dr. Harold Varmus is expected to overwhelmingly support the panel's recommendation (Cimons, 6/4).