February 28, 1969

Dr. Stanley F. Yolles

Director

National Institute of Mental Health
5454 Wisconsin Avenue

Chevy Chase, Maryland

Dear Stanley:

Thank you for your response concerning my request to have the
Council Agenda next month include some consideration of Family Planning
Programs.

I am writing now to try to secure a place on that same agenda for
another iten, the invigoration of approaches to mental health that are
and might be provided by experimental biology and biochemistry.

I have been talking briefly with fellow council man L. J. West about
this and we hope to have some more definite questions ready before the ry
council meeting but are not yet prepared to submit them. It would, how- VA
ever, be helpful if staff could be prepared to discuss with us such

matters as the scope of existing research support in biclogy. lists and

particular examples of projects that have been approved but remain

unfunded, and the viger of existing and possibly expanded efforts to

promote an interest in mental health shemes on the part of aaccomplished
investigators in the biological sciences who may not realize what they

may have to offer in this direction.

a7ah

Sincerely yours,

Joshua Lederberg
Professor of Genetics

JIL/rr
CC: Dr.West