National campaign touts importance of medical research

The ResearchMeansHope.org campaign aims to raise awareness to the need for sustained growth in federal research funding.

Medical research is the start of hope.

Omaha philanthropist Chuck Durham understood that and invested untold millions to build the Durham Research Center towers. Inside, UNMC researchers search for answers to such devastating diseases as cancer, Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s.

Now, a national campaign raises awareness of the critical need for sustained, real growth in federal funding for medical research.

The campaign, ResearchMeansHope.org, also urges Congress to enact significant, annual increases in funds for the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nation’s primary sponsor of medical research.

“Medical research is one of the best investments we can make,” said Bob Bartee, vice chancellor for external affairs at UNMC. “Many of us have friends and family who have benefitted from the significant advances made in medical research. We also have loved ones whose battles continue with incurable or life-threatening diseases. Our investment in research is their best hope to a longer and improved quality of life.

Founders and followers Founders of the ResearchMeansHope.org campaign include: The Association of American Medical Colleges; The Association of American Universities; The Association of Public and Land-grant Universities; The Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology; and The Johns Hopkins University. Become a friend of the campaign on Facebook and follow the effort on Twitter.

“I would encourage everyone to explore ways to become an advocate for medical research.”

NIH-funded research has pioneered many advances that today enable Americans to live longer, healthier lives. Over the past 30 years, there has been a 50 percent decline in heart disease deaths and a 60 percent decrease in stroke deaths.

More recently, NIH-funded advances have led to:

• A vaccine to prevent cervical cancer;
  
• New, targeted therapies for many types of cancer;
  
• The identification of genetic markers for mental illness;
  
• Improved treatments for asthma; and
  
• The near-elimination of mother-to-child HIV transmission.

“Unfortunately, ‘boom and bust’ cycles of support in recent years have resulted in delayed hope for patients and their families and lost opportunities for science,” said Darrell G. Kirch, M.D., president and CEO of the Association of American Medical Colleges. “While the recent infusion of federal funds for NIH in the economic recovery package is welcome news, the NIH budget still declined 11 percent after inflation between 2003 and 2009. It is essential that we renew our national commitment to sustained, real growth in NIH funding over the long term.”