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Species of Fossil Fish From Panama Named After Ngabe Researcher at STRI
PANAMA CITY, Panama, Nov. 19 (TNSjou) -- The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute issued the following news:
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Deep honor
New species of fossil fish from Panama named after Ngabe researcher at STRI
An analysis of marine fossils from the Upper Miocene Chagres Formation, most belonging to the Myctophidae family, discovered four new species, one of which has been named in honor of Brigida de Gracia, the first Ngabe marine paleontologist.
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At the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), staff marine paleobiologist Aaron O'Dea has a special surprise for his dear colleague, research
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PANAMA CITY, Panama, Nov. 19 (TNSjou) -- The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute issued the following news:
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Deep honor
New species of fossil fish from Panama named after Ngabe researcher at STRI
An analysis of marine fossils from the Upper Miocene Chagres Formation, most belonging to the Myctophidae family, discovered four new species, one of which has been named in honor of Brigida de Gracia, the first Ngabe marine paleontologist.
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At the Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute (STRI), staff marine paleobiologist Aaron O'Dea has a special surprise for his dear colleague, researchtechnician Brigida de Gracia: a new species of fossilized fish found in Panama has been named Hoplostethus boyae in her honor.
"For those who don't know Brigida, she's a long-time research technician in our lab at Naos and a specialist in identification of marine fossils--corals, bryozoans, gastropods, and bivalves," says O'Dea. "However, her main specialty, and principal love, are otoliths."
Otoliths are the ear stones of bony fishes, made up of minerals that make them long lasting. When the fish dies, otoliths are often fossilized in sea floor sediments and because each fish species has unique otoliths, researchers can identify ancient species from just the otoliths. De Gracia enjoys sharing her knowledge and passion of otoliths with young biologists.
"Brigida is also the only Ngabe marine paleontologist in the world," he adds.
"To have the species named in my honor brings a lot of joy and excitement for me, my family and friends," says Brigida, who received from members of the O'Dea Lab an illustration of the species named after her, created by O'Dea Lab student Natasha Hinojosa. "I'm very grateful to Dr. O'Dea, Dr. Lin, and to Natasha Hinojosa for this honor."
The species named after her, an extinct Orange Roughy, is a small, deep-sea fish belonging to the Trachichthyidae family, with exceptionally long lifespans of about 200 years. This species lived in the productive coastal waters of the Caribbean during the Late Miocene.
"We chose the name Hoplostethus boyae because Boya is Brigida's traditional name in Ngabere, the language of the Ngabe," O'Dea explains. "The etymology also recognizes how the Ngabe and their ancestors have inhabited the Isthmus of Panama for millennia, developing traditional ecological knowledge deeply connected to marine productivity cycles--creating a bridge between then and now."
"This might answer that very fun question for people who are curious about how species are named," Brigida adds, explaining that the name Boya was given to her by her paternal grandfather, following the Ngabe ancestral family tradition.
This new species is one of four new fossil species named in the paper Remarkable dominance of myctophid otoliths in Upper Miocene Chagres Formation, Caribbean Panama, co-authored by O'Dea and led by Chien-Hsiang Lin, marine paleontologist and Associate Research Fellow at the Biodiversity Research Center, Academia Sinica in Taiwan.
"We found a rather extraordinary fossil otolith assemblage from the Late Miocene (around 7 million years old) Chagres Formation near Pina, Costa Abajo in Colon province of Panama," O'Dea states. "We collected more than 6,200 fish otoliths from these rocks, representing one of the richest fossil fish assemblages ever documented in the world. Certainly, the most abundant per unit sediment."
The collection yielded 31 species across 12 families. The paper, published in the journal PeerJ, pointed at the predominance of one other family, the Myctophidae, which constituted over 96% of the specimens analyzed.
Myctophids, otherwise known as lanternfishes, are small mesopelagic or deep-sea fish, known for their bioluminescence; these tiny glowing creatures live in the "twilight zone" of the ocean, where there isn't much light, but come up closer to the surface at night to feed on plankton. Lanternfish make up one of the largest biomasses of any vertebrate group on Earth and are key players in the carbon cycle thanks to their diurnal migrations and massive abundance globally.
Lin and O'Dea also described three other new extinct species from the fossil site: Chiloconger aflorens sp. nov., Dasyscopelus inopinatus sp. nov., and Malakichthys schwarzhansi sp. nov.
"Chien-Hsiang and I chose the four names together," O'Dea says. "We tried to make each one meaningful. Chiloconger aflorens comes from the Spanish word afloramiento, or upwelling, because this little eel lived in what we think was an ancient upwelling system. Dasyscopelus inopinatus means "unexpected" in Latin--we chose this because it has a mix of features. Malakichthys schwarzhansi honors Werner Schwarzhans, an ichtyologist and paleontologist from the Natural History Museum of Denmark, who has done brilliant work on fish otoliths globally and laid the groundwork for studies like ours. And of course, Hoplostethus boyae celebrates Brigida."
According to research, seven million years ago, the Caribbean waters of Panama were bursting with life. Tiny plankton thrived in the water, feeding a rich community on the seafloor. This supported a wide variety of fish and large predators like whales, sharks (including the giant megalodon), swordfish, and even Ishtminia panamensis, the ancient relative of river dolphins. At night, countless lanternfish would have created living galaxies of bioluminescent light pulsing through the dark waters.
"These fossils paint a vivid picture of an ancient Caribbean Sea that would have been unrecognizable to us today, an ecosystem driven by strong upwelling waters that pumped nutrients from the depths and sustained this extraordinary abundance and diversity," O'Dea commented.
"There's much more to discover," Chien-Hsiang Lin says. "Each fossil from this remarkable site helps reconstruct the past, revealing how the formation of the Isthmus transformed not just geography, but entire ocean ecosystems."
The Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute, headquartered in Panama City, Panama, is a unit of the Smithsonian Institution. The institute furthers the understanding of tropical biodiversity and its importance to human welfare, trains students to conduct research in the tropics and promotes conservation by increasing public awareness of the beauty and importance of tropical ecosystems. Promo video.
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Reference:
Lin, C-H, O'Dea, A. 2025. Remarkable dominance of myctophid otoliths in Upper Miocene Chagres Formation, Caribbean Panama. PeerJ 13:e20155. DOI: 10.7717/peerj.20155
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Original text here: https://stri.si.edu/story/deep-honor
IDB Group, the Government of El Salvador, and Agrisal Group Promote Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital at GET Forum
WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release on Nov. 18, 2025:
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IDB Group, the Government of El Salvador, and Agrisal Group Promote Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital at GET Forum
New edition of marquee forum will provide a space where innovation and technology unite to address development challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean.
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The Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) announces the 2025 edition of its Global Entrepreneurship and Technology Forum for Latin America and the Caribbean - GET Forum (formerly IDB Lab Forum).
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 19 -- The Inter-American Development Bank issued the following news release on Nov. 18, 2025:
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IDB Group, the Government of El Salvador, and Agrisal Group Promote Entrepreneurship and Venture Capital at GET Forum
New edition of marquee forum will provide a space where innovation and technology unite to address development challenges in Latin America and the Caribbean.
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The Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) announces the 2025 edition of its Global Entrepreneurship and Technology Forum for Latin America and the Caribbean - GET Forum (formerly IDB Lab Forum).This flagship event of the IDB Group will take place from November 30 to December 2 in San Salvador, El Salvador.
GET Forum brings together global investors, ecosystem developers, startup CEOs, business leaders, public officials, industry experts, representatives from the IDB Group, and other key players, providing an opportunity for participants to gain valuable connections, inspiration, and practical knowledge.
"GET Forum is an expression of the value that the IDB Group and its allies bring to the region by connecting it with the world, promoting business opportunities, and creating spaces for knowledge exchange - all aimed at boosting entrepreneurial ecosystems and catalyzing investment in innovative solutions to development challenges," said Cesar Buenadicha, acting chief of IDB Lab's Ecosystem Building and Acceleration Division.
This year, to further promote emerging entrepreneurial innovation ecosystems and catalyze greater investment in Latin America and the Caribbean, the forum is being organized under a public-private model with the government of El Salvador, the Agrisal Group, and the support of more than 30 sponsoring partners.
This year's edition has three thematic pillars: economic opportunities through talent development, promotion of investment and venture capital, and policies to enable innovation and growth.
The three-day experience begins on November 30 with the GET Forum Innovation Village in Cuscatlan Park, a space where visitors can learn in open classrooms, experiment with new technologies, and be inspired by entrepreneurial stories and ideas. On December 1-2, the high-level conference will take place at the Hilton San Salvador Hotel, along with plenary sessions, interactive panels, applied-knowledge workshops, startup pitches, and networking spaces.
GET Forum 2025 will feature more than 130 speakers from over 25 countries, including international leaders in innovation and entrepreneurship such as Andres Bilbao, co-founder of Rappi, one of Latin America's first unicorns; Eric Acher, co-founder and managing partner of Monashees, a leading venture capital firm in the region; Siim Sikkut, former chief information officer of Estonia and managing partner at Digital Nation, renowned for his expertise in digital transformation of government; Guy Nae, public sector lead for Spanish Latin America at Google Cloud, an expert in technology applied to development; and Jonathan Ortmans, founder and president of the Global Entrepreneurship Network.
In addition, globally renowned companies and organizations such as Meta, Seedstars, Mercado Libre, and Wayra/Telefonica will be participating.
GET Forum aims to build bridges between the public and private sectors, Latin America and the Caribbean and the world, and entrepreneurs and investors to generate more innovative solutions with greater impact at scale in the region.
For a detailed agenda visit www.getforumlac.org. Send your questions to getforumlac@iadb.org.
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About the IDB Group
The Inter-American Development Bank Group (IDB Group) is the leading source of financing and knowledge for improving lives in Latin America and the Caribbean. It comprises the IDB, which works with the region's public sector and enables the private sector; IDB Invest, which directly supports private companies and projects; and IDB Lab, which spurs entrepreneurial innovation.
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Original text here: https://www.iadb.org/en/news/idb-group-government-el-salvador-and-agrisal-group-promote-entrepreneurship-and-venture-capital-get
Nonprofit Receives $58K in Grants to Improve Access to Affordable Housing Solutions in Mississippi
DALLAS, Texas, Nov. 18 -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, a district bank in the Federal Home Loan Bank System, issued the following news release:
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Nonprofit Receives $58K in Grants to Improve Access to Affordable Housing Solutions in Mississippi
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JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, November 18, 2025The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) in collaboration with five of its membersBankPlus, Cadence Bank, Citizens National Bank, Community Bank of Mississippi and Trustmark Bankawarded $58,500 to Housing Education and Economic Development Inc. (HEED) to strengthen housing counseling efforts
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DALLAS, Texas, Nov. 18 -- The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas, a district bank in the Federal Home Loan Bank System, issued the following news release:
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Nonprofit Receives $58K in Grants to Improve Access to Affordable Housing Solutions in Mississippi
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JACKSON, MISSISSIPPI, November 18, 2025The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) in collaboration with five of its membersBankPlus, Cadence Bank, Citizens National Bank, Community Bank of Mississippi and Trustmark Bankawarded $58,500 to Housing Education and Economic Development Inc. (HEED) to strengthen housing counseling effortsacross Mississippi.
The grants, supported by FHLB Dallas' Partnership Grant Program (PGP), will help HEED expand its organizational capacity and housing counseling to better serve residents seeking affordable housing solutions.
"We are incredibly grateful to all banks for this generous support through FHLB Dallas' Partnership Grant Program," said HEED Executive Director Charles Harris. "This funding will significantly enhance our ability to empower more Mississippi residents on their journey toward stable, affordable housing."
Over the last 36 years, HEED has helped more than 12,000 clients, making housing more fair and financially accessible.
"HEED's work not only supports individual households but also strengthens the sense of community that makes our neighborhoods thrive," said BankPlus Community Affairs Officer Ralph Jackson.
Cadence Bank's Jackson Market President Michael Booker said that the grants will allow HEED to continue helping people navigate financial challenges.
"These grants will allow HEED to equip more Mississippi families with the tools and guidance needed to stay in their homes and build long-term financial stability," he said.
Citizens National Bank's Community Development Director Tra Alford said these grants will contribute to the financial success of Mississippi families.
"Thanks to these grants, HEED can expand their education and support services, empowering individuals and families to make informed financial decisions," he said.
Community Bank of Mississippi had last provided HEED with a PGP grant in 2022.
"The PGP remains a wonderful opportunity to showcase our commitment to community partnerships, highlighting how local nonprofits and financial institutions can work together toward the shared goal of investing in the Jackson community," said Rieko Wells, CRA officer at Community Bank of Mississippi.
Trustmark Bank's Director of Corporate Social Responsibility and Community Development, Sherry Rainey, said these grants enable HEED to expand its fair housing counseling.
"These grants will have a significant impact in helping Mississippians navigate the path to homeownership with confidence," she said.
The FHLB Dallas PGP offers up to a 5:1 match of member contributionsup to $25,000 per FHLB Dallas memberto support community-based organizations involved in affordable housing or economic development activities that complement other FHLB Dallas community investment programs.
"By supplementing the financial support of our members to organizations like HEED, we're creating a ripple effect addressing some of the root challenges of affordable housing and helping communities move toward greater stability and opportunity," said Greg Hettrick, senior vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas.
Learn more about the PGP.
About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank System created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $112.2 billion as of September 30, 2025, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced loans and other credit products to approximately 800 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit fhlb.com.
Contact Information:
Corporate Communications
Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas
fhlb.com
214.441.8445
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Original text here: https://www.fhlb.com/library/press-releases/2025/nonprofit-receives-58k-in-grants-to-improve-access
Loose Wire on Containership Dali Leads to Blackouts and Contact with Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge
WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 -- The National Transportation Safety Board issued the following news release:
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Loose Wire on Containership Dali Leads to Blackouts and Contact with Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge
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The NTSB said Tuesday that a single loose wire on the 984-foot-long containership Dali caused an electrical blackout that led to the giant vessel veering and contacting the nearby Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, which then collapsed, killing six highway workers.
At Tuesday's public meeting at NTSB headquarters, investigators said the loose wire in the ship's electrical system
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 -- The National Transportation Safety Board issued the following news release:
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Loose Wire on Containership Dali Leads to Blackouts and Contact with Baltimore's Francis Scott Key Bridge
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The NTSB said Tuesday that a single loose wire on the 984-foot-long containership Dali caused an electrical blackout that led to the giant vessel veering and contacting the nearby Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, which then collapsed, killing six highway workers.
At Tuesday's public meeting at NTSB headquarters, investigators said the loose wire in the ship's electrical systemcaused a breaker to unexpectedly open beginning a sequence of events that led to two vessel blackouts and a loss of both propulsion and steering near the 2.37-mile-long Key Bridge on March 26, 2024. Investigators found that wire-label banding prevented the wire from being fully inserted into a terminal block spring-clamp gate, causing an inadequate connection.
Illustration showing how placement of wire-label banding affects the way wires are seated in their terminal blocks. (Source: NTSB)
After the initial blackout, the Dali's heading began swinging to starboard toward Pier 17 of the Key Bridge. Investigators found that the pilots and the bridge team attempted to change the vessel's trajectory, but the loss of propulsion so close to the bridge rendered their actions ineffective. A substantial portion of the bridge subsequently collapsed into the river, and portions of the pier, deck and truss spans collapsed onto the vessel's bow and forwardmost container bays.
A seven-person road maintenance crew and one inspector were on the bridge when the vessel struck. Six of the highway workers died. The NTSB found that the quick actions of the Dali pilots, shoreside dispatchers and the Maryland Transportation Authority to stop bridge traffic prevented greater loss of life.
"Our investigators routinely accomplish the impossible, and this investigation is no different,' said NTSB Chairwoman Jennifer Homendy. "The Dali, at almost 1,000 feet, is as long as the Eiffel Tower is high, with miles of wiring and thousands of electrical connections. Finding this single wire was like hunting for a loose rivet on the Eiffel Tower.
"But like all of the accidents we investigate,this was preventable," Homendy said. "Implementing NTSB recommendations in this investigation will prevent similar tragedies in the future."
Contributing to the collapse of the Key Bridge and the loss of life was the lack of countermeasures to reduce the bridge's vulnerability to collapse due to impact by ocean-going vessels, which have only grown larger since the Key Bridge's opening in 1977. When the Japan-flagged containership Blue Nagoya contacted the Key Bridge after losing propulsion in 1980, the 390-foot-long vessel caused only minor damage. The Dali, however, is 10 times the size of the Blue Nagoya.
The comparative sizes of the Blue Nagoya and the Dali relative to the Key Bridge. (Source: NTSB)
As part of the investigation, the NTSB in March released an initial report on the vulnerability of bridges nationwide to large vessel strikes. The report found that the Maryland Transportation Authorityand many other owners of bridges spanning navigable waterways used by ocean-going vesselswere likely unaware of the potential risk that a vessel collision could pose to their structures. This was despite longstanding guidance from the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials recommending that bridge owners perform these assessments.
The NTSB sent letters to 30 bridge owners identified in the report, urging them to evaluate their bridges and, if needed, develop plans to reduce risks. All recipients have since responded, and the status of each recommendation is available on the NTSB's website.
As a result of the investigation, the NTSB issued new safety recommendations to the US Coast Guard; US Federal Highway Administration; the American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials; the Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK); the American National Standards Institute; the American National Standards Institute Accredited Standards Committee on Safety in Construction and Demolitions Operations A10; HD Hyundai Heavy Industries; Synergy Marine Pte. Ltd; and WAGO Corporation, the electrical component manufacturer; and multiple bridge owners across the nation.
A synopsis of actions taken Tuesday, including the probable cause, findings and recommendations, can be found on ntsb.gov. The complete investigation report will be released in the coming weeks.
To report an incident/accident or if you are a public safety agency, please call 1-844-373-9922 or 202-314-6290 to speak to a Watch Officer at the NTSB Response Operations Center (ROC) in Washington, DC (24/7).
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Original text here: https://www.ntsb.gov/news/press-releases/Pages/NR20251118.aspx
India's Political System Facilitates Intolerance Towards Religious Minorities
WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 -- The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued the following news release:
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India's Political System Facilitates Intolerance Towards Religious Minorities
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Washington D.C. - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom ( USCIRF ) released the following report:
Issue Update: Systematic Religious Persecution in India - This report provides an overview of India's social, political, and criminal justice systems as they relate to issues regarding freedom of religion or belief (FoRB). It also examines the relationship between Hindu nationalist
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 -- The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom issued the following news release:
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India's Political System Facilitates Intolerance Towards Religious Minorities
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Washington D.C. - The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom ( USCIRF ) released the following report:
Issue Update: Systematic Religious Persecution in India - This report provides an overview of India's social, political, and criminal justice systems as they relate to issues regarding freedom of religion or belief (FoRB). It also examines the relationship between Hindu nationalistgroups like the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) and the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), and the implications of this dynamic for FoRB.
In its 2025 Annual Report, USCIRF recommended that the U.S. Department of State designate India as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) for its toleration of systematic, ongoing, egregious religious freedom violations.
The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) is an independent, bipartisan legislative branch agency established by the U.S. Congress to monitor, analyze, and report on religious freedom abroad. USCIRF makes foreign policy recommendations to the President, the Secretary of State, and Congress, intended to deter religious persecution and promote freedom of religion and belief. To interview a commissioner, please contact USCIRF at media@uscirf.gov
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Original text here: https://www.uscirf.gov/news-room/releases-statements/indias-political-system-facilitates-intolerance-towards-religious
How a Pediatrician Helped Build the Science of Vaccine Safety
WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 -- The National Academy of Medicine issued the following news:
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How a Pediatrician Helped Build the Science of Vaccine Safety
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By Jamie Durana
A toddler arrived at the Chicago hospital on the final night of Kathryn Edwards' pediatric residency in the summer of 1976. The child was feverish and desperately in need of help. Edwards performed a spinal tap and examined the sample under a microscope. The diagnosis was immediate: Haemophilus influenzae Type B (Hib) Meningitis, a potentially deadly bacterial infection. The hospital typically had three or four such cases
... Show Full Article
WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 -- The National Academy of Medicine issued the following news:
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How a Pediatrician Helped Build the Science of Vaccine Safety
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By Jamie Durana
A toddler arrived at the Chicago hospital on the final night of Kathryn Edwards' pediatric residency in the summer of 1976. The child was feverish and desperately in need of help. Edwards performed a spinal tap and examined the sample under a microscope. The diagnosis was immediate: Haemophilus influenzae Type B (Hib) Meningitis, a potentially deadly bacterial infection. The hospital typically had three or four such casesat any given moment.
Edwards had finished three years of residency and had dealt with tough cases and critical decisions. "By the time you're finished with your residency, you think you can take on all the difficult, hard challenges, and you can usually win," says Edwards. But this child's infection was too advanced.
There was nothing Edwards could do.
"It was just very, very impactful," she recalls, because some of the information about how to prevent the disease already existed. At the time, it was known that antibodies against the Hib bacterial capsule could prevent this infection. But a vaccine was not yet available. For Edwards, that was unacceptable.
The experience led Edwards to vaccine research as the focus of her career. Her medical training had given her tools to respond to illness, but what she wanted was to prevent it from happening at all. Her path forward would focus on building evidence, safety protocols, and collaborative partnerships to keep children out of the hospital.
Edwards would spend the next five decades studying vaccines, establishing safety monitoring systems, and working to make sure that the tragedy she witnessed that night in 1976 would become increasingly rare.
Illustration: Talia Lewis
Finding Her Path
Edwards grew up in a small town in Iowa. Education mattered in her household and in her community, which was near the University of Iowa. After high school, Edwards pursued a chemistry degree and changed course to pharmacy school before ultimately switching to medical school where she thrived.
Edwards graduated from the University of Iowa School of Medicine in 1973 and finished her pediatric residency in 1976. Then she pursued two additional years of fellowship training in pediatric infectious diseases and two more years in an immunology research laboratory before she joined Vanderbilt University Medical Center in 1980 to work on vaccine evaluation. The position combined laboratory research, clinical trials, and patient care. "It was like the job had been designed for me," she says. At the time, diseases like bacterial meningitis and pertussis filled pediatric wards regularly. The need for prevention was clear.
The role at Vanderbilt was a perfect match for Edwards' combination of experienceschemistry, pharmacy, medicineand passion for preventing illness.
Building the Vaccine Safety Field
When Edwards arrived at Vanderbilt in 1980, she joined colleagues who received funding from the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to establish a Vaccine Evaluation Center. They began studying vaccines in collaboration with the local medical community in Nashville, Tennessee. At the time, vaccine trials often were conducted in private pediatric practices. "The pediatricians saw the impact of these bacterial diseases," Edwards explains. They offered their patients the opportunity to participate in vaccine trials, confident that the vaccines could be safely evaluated.
The vaccines Edwards helped evaluate became licensed and entered routine use, including the Hib meningitis vaccine that might have prevented the death she witnessed in Chicago so many years before. Today, Hib meningitis is so rare Edwards says that most of the current pediatric residents have never seen a case.
Assurance of safety is paramount to ensuring that patients want to take a vaccine, Edwards notes, which is critical in turning the tide on the spread of dangerous infections.
In the early 1990s, concerns about pertussis vaccine side effects swirled. Edwards and Vanderbilt colleagues partnered with the NIH and five other medical centers to test safer formulations. The result was a new generation of pertussis vaccines that maintained effectiveness with fewer reactions.
"We want vaccines that are as safe as possible," Edwards says. If there are safety questions, it's important to listen to parents' concerns and figure out how to make vaccines safer.
The work Edwards and her colleagues started in the 1980s flourished, and in the early 2000sthrough a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) contractVanderbilt established a vaccine safety monitoring and consultation service with several other medical centers for health care providers with questions about vaccine reactions. When COVID-19 arrived, Edwards was on the phone every morning for two years straight, reviewing safety questions with CDC staff and vaccine providers throughout the country.
A Look Inside the Vaccine Safety Apparatus
The vaccine safety monitoring work that intensified during the COVID-19 pandemic had been building since the early 2000s. When health care providers called Vanderbilt's Vaccine Evaluation Center with concerns (a vaccine was given, a reaction may have occurred, what should we do?), Edwards and her team would mobilize specialists across the medical center.
For example, if a patient developed jaundice or liver dysfunction after receiving a vaccine, hepatologists (liver doctors) were consulted, the medical literature was reviewed for similar cases, CDC records of adverse reactions to vaccines were meticulously searched, and other possible causes of liver injury were investigated. This information was share with the physician who referred the patient and with vaccine experts from the CDC and around the country. These sessions helped assess whether the incident appeared vaccine-related, what additional tests were needed, what follow-up was needed, and whether the vaccine could be safely administered again.
Edwards says the collaborative nature of her work was critical. During the COVID pandemic, when she needed answers from the extraordinarily busy head of the intensive care unit, "I would write an email... and immediately, he would get back [to me]. Everybody wants safe vaccines."
But the safety infrastructure extends far beyond individual consultations. Edwards has spent much of her retirement serving on Data Safety and Monitoring Committees, independent panels of vaccine experts and immunologists that are funded by pharmaceutical companies but operate with complete autonomy. These committees review adverse events in clinical trials in real time, looking for patterns that might signal problems. If a safety concern becomes apparent, these committees can halt a company's research, which happened recently when a committee stopped an RSV (respiratory syncytial virus) vaccine study.
During the Pfizer COVID-19 mRNA vaccine trials, Edwards served on such a safety committee. With 30,000 participants in a trial, "there's a lot of things that are happening," she notes. The committee met religiously, reviewing every single adverse event.
Weighing Risks and Benefits
Edwards remembers a conversation with a patient's father on the day the vaccine for the varicella zoster virus (chickenpox) was licensed in 1995. His daughter was in the intensive care unit, about to have her arm amputated. She'd contracted chickenpox, which led to a severe bacterial infection called necrotizing fasciitis. The father looked at Edwards and asked what took so long to make the vaccine available.
For Edwards, the moment captured the tension at the heart of vaccine development. The long process of ensuring vaccine safety before public use "is both a risk and a benefit," Edwards explains. Delaying a vaccine that could be effective has costs but licensing a potentially unsafe or ineffective vaccine carries its own dangers. "It's really a rock and a hard place," says Edwards.
Despite the challenges, Edwards is committed to vaccine safety evaluation. "I became a doctor because I didn't want kids to be sick," she says. "Why would I not be concerned if vaccines were in any way contributing to illness and not preventing disease?"
At a 1961 polio vaccination event, sugar cubes containing the oral vaccine are provided to children. Photo: CDC Public HealthLibrary
The "Invisible Success" Problem
The success of the vaccines Edwards helped developfor pertussis, Hib, smallpox, and morehas created an unexpected challenge in a generation of physicians who may never have seen the diseases they prevent.
When Edwards mentions Hib meningitis or polio to residents now, they don't immediately know what the symptoms look like. These diseases are incredibly rare thanks to widespread vaccination. Vaccines are "like the Maytag repairman," Edwards says. "We have such a good product that people don't know the diseases that the vaccines prevent."
But the consequences of that "invisible success" are already apparent as people become less aware of the threats posed by once-common diseases. Recently, deadly outbreaks of measles have occurred in the United States as vaccination rates have dropped.
Edwards identifies three barriers to vaccine acceptance. First, people don't see some of the diseases as relevant anymore. She remembers summers growing up when her mother kept her from going swimming because of the threat of polio. Edwards says she was eager to get the sugar cube vaccine at school. Without a visible threat, urgency disappears.
Second, many people are afraid that the vaccines are not safe and are unaware of the vaccine development process and its layers of scrutiny and oversight. Researchers spend years testing potential vaccines in the laboratory to find a safe, effective formulation, then three escalating phases of human trials follow. Small groups to refine the dose, larger groups to ensure safety, and massive trials involving tens of thousands of vaccine recipients to confirm the vaccine truly prevents disease. By the time a vaccine reaches the public, it has already cleared an extraordinary series of independent reviews and safety checks.
Third, there's resistance to being "told what to do," or "mandated" to receive certain vaccines, even in the interest of community protection, a concept that has become increasingly important as the number of children who cannot safely receive certain vaccines has grown dramatically, including bone marrow transplant recipients, cancer patients, children with immune deficiencies, and heart transplant recipients. These vulnerable populations depend on community-wide immunity to slow or prevent transmission of infectious diseases.
The Ultimate Goal: Prevention Over Treatment
Even in her retirement, Edwards' commitment to preventing disease drives her. She remains active in vaccine safety work, serving on multiple Data Safety and Monitoring Committees. The infrastructure she helped buildthe surveillance systems, the safety protocols, the collaborative networkscontinues through the scientists Edwards has mentored, many of whom now run the surveillance and safety programs she helped establish.
She thinks often about what's at stake. "Prevention of disease is just so much more effective than having to treat when kids are sick," she says. "Vaccines have had an enormous impact on the global burden of disease."
The contrast with that June night in 1976 is stark. Back then, Edwards could only watch as a child died from a devastating infection that can now be prevented. In the decades since, she has helped build the tools to prevent deadly infections and the systems to ensure they are safe. Across 50 years of patient care, research, and vaccine safety oversight, her purpose has remained the same: to stop children from arriving at the hospital in the first place.
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Original text here: https://nam.edu/news-and-insights/building-the-science-of-vaccine-safety/
EPA Approves Muscatine, Iowa, Air Quality Redesignation
WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA Approves Muscatine, Iowa, Air Quality Redesignation
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LENEXA, KAN. (NOV. 18, 2025) - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved the State of Iowa's request to redesignate the Muscatine Area from nonattainment to attainment for the 2010 1-Hour Sulfur Dioxide (SO 2 ) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS).
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) worked collaboratively with industry to develop strategies to reduce SO 2 emissions at industrial facilities and
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WASHINGTON, Nov. 18 -- The Environmental Protection Agency issued the following news release:
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EPA Approves Muscatine, Iowa, Air Quality Redesignation
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LENEXA, KAN. (NOV. 18, 2025) - Today, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has approved the State of Iowa's request to redesignate the Muscatine Area from nonattainment to attainment for the 2010 1-Hour Sulfur Dioxide (SO 2 ) National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS).
The Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR) worked collaboratively with industry to develop strategies to reduce SO 2 emissions at industrial facilities andbring the Muscatine Area into attainment with the 2010 SO 2 standard. These efforts resulted in a 98% reduction in total annual SO 2 emissions from 2013 to 2023. Today's approval, following the work by the State and local businesses, reflects the EPA's commitment to cooperative federalism, pillar three of the Powering the Great American Comeback initiative.
"This milestone achievement represents years of hard work and dedication on behalf of the Iowa Department of Natural Resources, as well as local businesses committed to improving air quality in Muscatine," said EPA Region 7 Administrator Jim Macy. "We commend Iowa's commitment to working alongside industry partners to reduce SO 2 emissions and deliver clean air for the community of Muscatine."
"This announcement is a tremendous win for Muscatine and a testament to what can be achieved when government, industry, and the community work together toward a common goal," said Muscatine Mayor Brad Bark. "Our community has made great strides in improving air quality, protecting public health, and ensuring Muscatine remains a great place to live, work, and raise a family. We are proud of the collaboration that made this achievement possible."
"Since EPA's revision to the SO 2 standards in 2010, our collaborative efforts with both the community and industry have led to a remarkable reduction in SO 2 concentrationsfrom 217 ppb to just 17 ppb," said IDNR Director Kayla Lyon. "This achievement highlights the immense commitment and hard work put forth in planning, engineering, and installing new equipment to ensure Muscatine meets and remains below the 1-hour standard of 75 ppb."
To redesignate a nonattainment area to attainment, the Clean Air Act (CAA) requires EPA to determine the State has met all applicable requirements for the NAAQS. EPA's final rule details how the Muscatine Area meets the CAA requirements for redesignation, including a maintenance plan ensuring continued compliance through 2035.
For more information on the Muscatine Area final 2010 1-Hour SO 2 redesignation, visit docket number EPA-R07-OAR-2025-0818 at https://www.regulations.gov/ Exit EPA's website.
Learn more about how EPA works with states to reach attainment for SO 2 emissions.
Learn more about EPA Region 7
View all Region 7 news releases
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Follow us on X: @EPARegion7
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Original text here: https://www.epa.gov/newsreleases/epa-approves-muscatine-iowa-air-quality-redesignation
