February is African American History Month. This year’s theme pays special tribute to African American women and the various roles they’ve played in shaping our nation. Visit the official page on African American History Month and you’ll find lesson plans, a photo collection from the Harlem Renaissance, an online exhibition about slavery at Jefferson’s Monticello, and more.

The National Institutes of Health will celebrate the Fifth Annual Rare Disease Day February 29 with a day-long celebration co-sponsored by the Office of Rare Diseases Research-National Center for Accelerating Translational Research, and the NIH Clinical Center.

Drug delivery into muscle using an autoinjector, akin to the EpiPen used to treat serious allergic reactions, is faster and may be a more effective way to stop status epilepticus, a prolonged seizure lasting longer than five minutes, according to a study sponsored by the National Institutes of Health.

Researchers have uncovered a potent class of small molecules that selectively turn on the S1P1 receptor, a type of receptor in cells that can be targeted in the design of new treatments for diseases such as multiple sclerosis. These findings are reported in the Feb. 17 issue of the journal Science. The research was supported by the National Institutes of Health Common Fund and the National Institute of General Medical Science (NIGMS).

The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) has reached an agreement with the city of Humboldt, KS that will improve access to all aspects of civic life for individuals with disabilities. Several important steps will be taken to improve access for individuals with disabilities. Improvements include making physical changes so that parking, routes into the buildings, entrances, service areas and counters, restrooms and other areas are accessible. The agreement was reached under Project Civic Access (PCA), the department’s initiative to make sure that cities, towns and counties comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

The Obama Administration is making an additional $50 million available for cutting-edge Alzheimer’s research. The administration’s Fiscal Year 2013 budget will increase funding for Alzheimer’s research by $80 million, plus an additional $26 million for caregiver support, provider education and public awareness about the disease. This new funding will speed up the National Institutes of Health’s effort to develop new ways of helping people with Alzheimer’s disease and those at risk.

Get notified about the latest consumer publications and promotions by texting PUB to 872468 (USAGOV). You’ll receive 2-3 messages per month and can unsubscribe at any time.

Children exposed to HIV before birth are at risk for language impairments, according to a study by researchers at the National Institutes of Health and other institutions.

A single blood donation can save multiple lives. See if you are eligible to donate and find out what you can expect when giving blood.

Submit innovative ideas to help enroll uninsured kids in Medicaid or the Children’s Health Insurance Program. Proposals should cut red tape, use technology for outreach and enrollment, or employ another suggested strategy.

On January 3, President Barack Obama signed a bill into law that will streamline airport screening procedures for service members and their families while traveling on official orders. Learn more about the new law.

Vitamin D may help prevent hormonal changes that can lead to bone loss among those being treated for HIV with the drug tenofovir, according to the results of a National Institutes of Health network study of adolescents with HIV.

January 16 is the Martin Luther King, Jr. Day of Service. Find volunteer opportunities in your community.

The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s Good Neighbor Next Door Sales Program allows eligible participants to purchase a single family home in a designated revitalization area for 50% of the list price.

Since the discovery of the microscope, scientists have tried to visualize smaller and smaller structures to provide insights into the inner workings of human cells, bacteria and viruses. Now, researchers at the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), part of the National Institutes of Health, have developed a new way to see structures within viruses that were not clearly seen before.

A new type of lab has been created to utilize near-atomic resolution microscopy and other structural biology technologies to help accelerate important medical discoveries relating to global health challenges, such as cancer and HIV/AIDS. The Living Lab Structural Biology Center was formed through a cooperative research and development agreement between the National Institutes of Health and FEI, Hillsboro, Ore., a scientific instruments company.

A clinical trial has shown that addition of chemotherapy to radiation therapy leads to a near doubling of median survival time in patients with a form of brain tumor (oligodendroglioma) that carries a chromosomal abnormality called the 1p19q co-deletion.