All employees of Research!America member organizations are eligible to join alliance member meetings. If your organization is not a Research!America member and you’re interested in more information about the alliance, email the development and membership team.
Date: Thursday, May 22, 2025 12:00 PM EDT
Join us Thursday, May 22 from 12 pm – 1 pm EST for a members-only meeting featuring Amalia Corby, Director of Federal Affairs at the American Society for Microbiology, and Jamie Bay Nishi, CEO of the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. They will discuss the potential risks to research partnerships, focusing on recent changes to NIH policy that impact foreign subawards, and will also review a recent executive order focused on regulating gain of function research. There will be time for Q and A and to catch up on other research-relevant issues.
For Zoom registration, please email Jacqueline Lagoy at [email protected].
This meeting is not open to the press or organizations outside the Research!America alliance.
Date: Thursday, May 29, 2025 12:00 PM EDT
Join us on Thursday, May 29th, at noon E.T. for an Alliance Discussion with Research!America Civic Engagement Awardees. Participants from Research!America’s Civic Engagement Microgrant Program and Public Engagement Training Content Microgrant Program will share their experiences developing and implementing innovative projects that build relationships and promote dialogue between scientists and non-scientists in the public. In the seven years since its inception, Research!America’s Civic Science Initiative has supported nearly 150 projects. The initiative empowers STEM graduate students, professional students, and postdoctoral researchers to address problems at the intersection of science and society and foster connections with public officials, community leaders, and the public to catalyze meaningful change in their local communities.
Date: Thursday, May 15, 2025 12:00 PM EDT
Join us Thursday, May 15 from 12pm-1pm ET for an off-the-record alliance members-only meeting about the potential impact of tariffs, “Most Favored Nation” pricing policy, and other recent developments bearing on public and private sector-fueled R&D.
Email Jacqueline Lagoy [email protected] for the Zoom registration link.
This meeting is not open to the press or organizations outside the Research!America alliance.
Date: Tuesday, May 6, 2025 12:00 PM EDT
If you are with a Research!America alliance member organization, join us on Tuesday, May 6, at 12:00 p.m. ET for an off-the-record catch up with strategists Cheryl Jaeger from Crossroad Strategies and Leslie Zelenko from KDCR Partners. We’ll take a look at the President’s “skinny” budget (if it is released by then), recap the 4/30/25 bipartisan Senate Appropriations Committee hearing on medical innovation, review developments at NIH and FDA as their new leaders settle in, and brainstorm a bit. All of that will be better if you join us!
Email Jacqueline Lagoy [email protected] for the Zoom registration link.
This meeting is not open to the press or organizations outside the Research!America alliance.
Date: Tuesday, April 29, 2025 12:00 PM EDT
The placebo is a critical component of clinical trials, allowing researchers to determine whether a treatment is truly effective. Yet, the placebo effect remains a fascinating and widely discussed phenomenon, both within and beyond medical contexts. On Tuesday, April 29, at 12:00 p.m. ET we had an engaging discussion with Dr. Kathryn Hall, Senior Vice President for Research at the New York Academy of Medicine (NYAM). Dr. Hall‘s research focuses on the placebo effect, as well as how the absence of placebo and the presence of nocebo effects impact health equity. Don’t miss this opportunity to explore the implications of this complex phenomenon.
Date: Tuesday, April 22, 2025 12:00 PM EDT
On April 22, at 12:00 p.m. ET we held a virtual Alliance member-only discussion featuring our special guests, Lindsay Garcia and Leslie Zelenko from KDCR Partners. We had a quick update and discussion around the President’s budget request, the rescissions process, and other R&D-relevant developments in Washington.
This meeting was not open to the press.
Date: Thursday, April 17, 2025 12:00 PM EDT
On Thursday, April 17 from 12 – 1PM ET, we hosted a virtual, Alliance member-only discussion featuring Cartier Esham, PhD, Executive Director of the Alliance for a Stronger FDA. Dr. Esham provided an update on recent developments at the Food and Drug Administration, including key structural and leadership changes, and explored what these shifts may mean for the research and public health landscape.
This meeting was not open to the press or organizations outside the Research!America alliance.
Date: Wednesday, April 9, 2025 12:00 PM EDT
On Wednesday, April 9th at 12:00 PM ET, Research!America held an alliance member-only meeting over Zoom. Cheryl Jaeger from Crossroads Strategies and Carrie Wolinetz from Lewis-Burke joined us to discuss the current policy landscape, along with actions taken and anticipated by the administration. We discussed advocacy strategies and reserved plenty of time for Q&A.
This meeting was not open to the press or organizations outside the Research!America alliance.
Research!America is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan alliance committed to elevating scientific, medical, and public health progress among federal priorities. If your organization is not part of the Research!America alliance (you can find a list of current member organizations here), please get in touch with Kristen Furlong about the benefits of membership. The impact of our alliance depends on the size and reach of our membership across the United States. Please join us!
Date: Thursday, April 3, 2025 12:00 PM EDT
By 2050, 61% of the U.S. population is projected to develop some form of cardiovascular disease, while over half of Americans are expected to have poor eating habits, contributing to diabetes, hypertension, and other chronic conditions. On Thursday, April 3, at 12:00 p.m. ET, Research!America hosted a discussion with Dr. Christina Economos, Dean of the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. Dr. Economos shared insights into Tufts University initiatives, which address the challenges and opportunities of food-based nutritional interventions to improve health outcomes.
Date: Thursday, March 27, 2025 12:00 PM EDT
We hosted an alliance member-only meeting over Zoom on Thursday, March 27 from 12:00–1:00 PM Eastern. Our special guest for the meeting was Georgetown University Law Center Professor David Super, whose expertise spans administrative law, constitutional law, and legislation among other research-relevant areas of government policy. We asked David to help clarify the administrative, statutory, and regulatory implications of Executive Branch actions that bear on our nation’s contributions to medical and health research.
Date: Tuesday, March 18, 2025 12:00 PM EDT
Want to advocate for research but don’t know where to start? Research!America members joined us on Tuesday, March 18, at 12PM Eastern for a members-only advocacy training designed to equip you with the tools to engage policymakers and communicate the value of research effectively.
Led by Research!America staff Erin Darbouze, MPH, Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy, and Savannah Sims, PhD, Senior Manager of Global Health R&D Advocacy, this session covered advocacy fundamentals, communicating science to lawmakers, and actionable ways to make an impact. This was an opportunity to strengthen your advocacy skills and help ensure medical and health research remains a national priority! This was a members-only event.
Date: Wednesday, March 5, 2025 12:00 PM EST
On March 5 at 12 p.m. Eastern, Research!America hosted an Alliance Discussion with Dr. Donald S. Wood, President and CEO of the Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA), and Paul Melmeyer, Executive Vice President of Public Policy and Advocacy at MDA.
MDA, the 2025 Paul Rogers Distinguished Organization Advocacy Award winner, has been the largest nonprofit supporter of neuromuscular disease research for 75 years, investing over $1 billion in research and gene therapy advancements. In conversation with Research!America CEO Mary Woolley, Dr. Wood and Mr. Melmeyer will discuss the future of gene therapy for ultra-rare conditions and share insights into MDA’s pivotal role in accelerating research and improving care for individuals with neuromuscular diseases.
Date: Tuesday, February 25, 2025 12:00 PM EST
On Tuesday, February 25 at 12:00 PM ET, Research!America will hold an alliance member-only meeting over Zoom. Cheryl Jaeger from Crossroads Strategies will join us for a meeting to discuss actions, taken and expected, by the administration. We’ll discuss advocacy strategies and reserve plenty of time for Q&A.
This meeting is not open to the press or organizations outside the Research!America alliance.
Research!America is a national nonprofit, nonpartisan alliance committed to elevating scientific, medical, and public health progress among federal priorities. If your organization is not part of the Research!America alliance (you can find a list of current member organizations here), please get in touch with Kristen Furlong about the benefits of membership. The impact of our alliance depends on the size and reach of our membership across the United States. Please join us!
If your organization is part of the Research!America alliance, email Jacqueline Lagoy to receive the Zoom registration link.
Date: Tuesday, February 18, 2025 10:30 AM EST
Over the next three decades, the global population aged 65 and older is expected to double: what are the societal and health implications of longer lives and aging populations, and how should countries adapt their health systems to prepare for them? We had an enlightening discussion on February 18, 2025 at 10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. EST featuring two experts in this area:
In conversation with:
They discussed their own research on aging in low and middle-income countries, how it relates to aging populations in the U.S. and the need for a stronger global research agenda on aging.
Date: Tuesday, February 11, 2025 12:00 PM EST
On Tuesday, February 11 at 12:00 PM ET, Research!America held an alliance member-only meeting over Zoom . In addition to discussing the latest developments in Washington, Erik Fatemi, Principal at Cornerstone Government Affairs joined us for a closer look at the Fiscal Year 2025 (FY25) and FY26 appropriations landscape.
This meeting was not open to press.
If your organization is part of the Research!America alliance (you can find a list of current member organizations here), email Jacqueline Lagoy to receive the Zoom registration link.
Date: Monday, February 3, 2025 2:00 PM EST
On February 3 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern, we had a discussion with Dr. Alfred Sommer, Dean Emeritus, University Distinguished Service Professor, Professor Emeritus, Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg School of Public Health, and recipient of Research!America’s 2025 Outstanding Achievement in Public Health Award. In conversation with fellow Bloomberg School professor Dr. Scott Zeger, Dr. Sommer shared insights from his storied career – from his lifesaving work as a clinician making the connection between Vitamin A deficiency and childhood mortality to his leadership as Dean of the Bloomberg School for over a decade. Dr. Sommer has been a tireless advocate for improving public health by promoting adoption of medical discoveries into clinical medicine and public health practice.
Date: Thursday, January 30, 2025 12:00 PM EST
Research!America hosted a member-only meeting over Zoom to discuss the recent OMB memo pausing certain federal grants and contracts. The meeting took place on Thursday, January 30, at 12:00 PM ET.
Date: Thursday, January 23, 2025 12:00 PM EST
If you are with a Research!America alliance member organization, join us on January 23 at 12:00 p.m. Eastern for our first alliance member-only meeting of 2025, which took place over Zoom. Mary Dee Beal and Leslie Zelenko from KDCR Partners provided a DC update, and we resumed the 2025 policy and advocacy strategy session that got off to such a productive start during December’s meeting. If your organization is part of the Research!America alliance (you can find a list of current member organizations here), email Jacqueline Lagoy to receive the Zoom registration link.
Note: If your organization is not part of the Research!America alliance, let’s remedy that! We hope you’ll connect with our Director of Membership and Development, Kristen Furlong at [email protected].
Date: Tuesday, January 7, 2025 11:00 AM EST
Medical journalist Elizabeth Cohen has dedicated her career to helping Americans become smarter, more empowered patients by sharing impactful, real-life stories. After nearly losing her life following the premature birth of her three-pound daughter, Elizabeth made it her mission to help others navigate the often-complicated and overwhelming medical system.
Over the years, her reporting has brought to light stories like the family who fled Florida for better care for their disabled daughter; the Black mother who had to fight to save her own life after childbirth; the terminally ill 5-year-old girl who made her own end-of-life decisions; the parents who drove to Washington to push for legislation supporting sick children; and the Liberian nurse who protected her family from Ebola.
On Tuesday, January 7, Elizabeth — our 2025 Isadore Rosenfeld Award for Impact on Public Opinion recipient, was joined by moderator Eric Strauss, Executive Producer for Health and Medical Reporting at ABC News, to discuss her passion for empowering individuals to advocate for themselves during life’s most challenging medical moments.
Date: Monday, December 16, 2024 12:00 PM EST
If you are with a Research!America alliance member organization, we hope you’ll participate in an off-the-record discussion focused on advocacy priorities as the transition to a new Administration and Congress moves forward. Cheryl Jaeger from Crossroads Strategies and Leslie Zelenko from KDCR will join the meeting to discuss the policy and funding landscape, and we’ll reserve plenty of time for Q&A and brainstorming.
If your organization is a Research!America alliance member, email Jacqueline Lagoy to receive the Zoom registration link.
Date: Wednesday, December 4, 2024 1:30 PM EST
Answering the “Porter Question…”
“How do you know your research has impact on people?”
That’s the deceptively simple question Congressional luminary John Edward Porter (1935-2022, U.S. Representative, R-IL-10, 1980-2001), was known to level at federal officials when they came before the powerful House “Labor-H” Appropriations Subcommittee he chaired.
We’ve asked our 2025 John Edward Porter Legacy Award Recipient, Dr. Carolyn Clancy, who stood before Chair Porter’s subcommittee and answered that question, to discuss a sure path to patient benefit: health services research. Dr. Clancy and moderator Dr. Georges Benjamin joined us for a Zoom conversation about this under-appreciated research discipline.
Date: Tuesday, November 19, 2024 1:00 PM EST
Across the nation, an estimated 1.5 million Americans rely on oxygen to manage their health yet face significant challenges to monitoring their condition. On Tuesday, November 19, at 1:00 p.m. ET Dr. Stephen Mathai, Associate Professor of Medicine at Johns Hopkins University and part of the Johns Hopkins Pulmonary Hypertension Program, and Shavini Fernando, Founder and CEO of OxiWear, who developed a device to monitor oxygen levels after being diagnosed with severe pulmonary hypertension, joined us to share their experiences in treating and living with pulmonary disease and highlight promising advancements for patients.
Date: Wednesday, November 6, 2024 2:00 PM EST
The NIH grant application process is continuously evolving and can feel daunting at times. From scores to success rates, to specific aims, to paylines, many factors determine which submissions are competitive and successful. Join Research!America on Wednesday, November 6 at 2:00PM Eastern, for a member’s only, off-the-record conversation with Dr. Mike Lauer for a deep dive into this dynamic landscape in FY25. If you are with a Research!America alliance member organization, join this interactive discussion and email Jacqueline Lagoy [email protected] for the registration link.
Date: Monday, November 4, 2024 12:00 PM EST
We invite Research!America alliance members to a virtual meeting on Monday, November 4 at 12:00 p.m. ET with David Steury, Health Policy Director for Congresswoman Diana DeGette (D-CO). We’ve asked David to provide an update on “Cures 2.1,” a legislative initiative Rep. DeGette and Rep. Larry Bucshon (R-IN) initiated that builds on the landmark 21st Century Cures and Cures 2.0 Acts. Bring your questions and insights!
If your organization is a Research!America alliance member, email Jacqueline Lagoy to receive the Zoom registration link.
Date: Wednesday, October 30, 2024 12:00 PM EDT
If you are with a Research!America Alliance member organization, please join us on Wednesday, October 30 at 12:00 p.m. EDT for an off-the-record conversation with the director of the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA), Dr. Gary Disbrow. As a highly respected leader in the biodefense arena, we’ve asked Gary to shed light on the evolving biodefense landscape with a focus on infectious threats.
What are our nation’s priorities during a period shaped by a pandemic, punctuated by emerging and reemerging infectious diseases (EIDs), and potentially most notable for the success or failure of efforts to contain antimicrobial resistance? How does BARDA balance these priorities with the need for countermeasures against chemical, radiological, and nuclear threats, as well as biological threats outside EIDs? These questions, and your questions and insights on these topics, are important. We hope you can join us.
If you are with a Research!America alliance member organization, join this interactive discussion and email Jacqueline Lagoy [email protected] for the registration link.
Date: Tuesday, October 15, 2024 11:00 AM EDT
On October 15 at 11:00 a.m. ET, Dr. Joni Rutter, Director of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), joined us to share NCATS’s latest priorities, exciting advances in the field, and her vision for the future.
Date: Wednesday, October 2, 2024 1:00 PM EDT
Date: Wednesday, September 25, 2024 2:00 PM EDT
Did you know that nearly 10% of the U.S. population will have an eating disorder sometime during their lifetime or that eating disorders have the second highest mortality rate of any psychiatric illness behind opioid addiction? Eating disorders are under-recognized and stigmatized at a staggering individual and societal cost. On Wednesday, Sept. 25 at 2 p.m. ET Dr. Christine Peat, Director of the National Center of Excellence for Eating Disorders (NCEED) and President of the Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy & Action (EDC) joined us to discuss the progress, achieved and needed, in the prevention and treatment of eating disorders.
Resources/Links shared during the discussion:
National Alliance for Eating Disorders
National Eating Disorders Association
Date: Thursday, September 12, 2024 12:00 PM EDT
Join us at 12:00 PM ET on Thursday, September 12, for an alliance members-only meeting to discuss the potential for supplemental funding to be included in the “Cures 2.1” legislation. The 2016 21st Century Cures Act included funding for NIH and FDA: What should Cures 2.1 include? We’ll share perspectives from this meeting with Reps Larry Bucshon and Diana DeGette as they continue to shape the new Cures legislation.
If your organization is part of the Research!America alliance, we hope you can join us! Please email Jacqueline Lagoy at [email protected] for the Zoom registration link.
Date: Wednesday, September 4, 2024 12:00 PM EDT
Our skin is our first line of defense against disease and often reveals important clues to our overall health. On Wednesday, September 4, Dr. Mike Siegel, Executive Director of the Pediatric Dermatology Research Alliance (PeDRA), to share his experience in both academia and non-profit advocacy in his role at PeDRA. The organization has over 600 members and works to support research focused on preventing, treating, and curing childhood skin diseases.
Date: Thursday, August 1, 2024 12:00 PM EDT
Date: Wednesday, July 31, 2024 11:00 AM EDT
The H5N1 bird flu has made its way to U.S. dairy farms. While the general public’s risk remains low, health and agriculture officials have their work cut out to prevent a potential pandemic. On July 31 at 11:00 a.m. ET, Dr. Jennifer Nuzzo, an epidemiologist and Director of the Pandemic Center at Brown University School of Public Health, joined us to discuss the latest on H5N1, what it means for those in the trenches, and why now is the time to act.
Date: Monday, July 29, 2024 12:00 PM EDT
Investment in cancer research has played a pivotal role in reducing cancer deaths by 33% over the past three decades in the U.S., but we have far more to do: more than 600,000 Americans and 9.2 million globally will lose their life to cancer this year. On Monday, July 29 at noon ET Dr. Kimryn Rathmell, the Director of the National Cancer Institute at the National Institutes of Health joined us for a members-only conversation to discuss her priorities for the Institute as well as the current challenges and areas of particular promise in the cancer research arena.
Date: Thursday, July 25, 2024 11:30 AM EDT
If you are with a Research!America alliance member organization, join us on Thursday, July 25 at 11:30 a.m. ET for a Zoom alliance members-only meeting with the Executive Director of the House Problem Solver’s Caucus, Toby Douthat. Bipartisan in its composition and activities, the Problem Solvers Caucus works to forge compromise solutions to funding and policy challenges. We’ve asked Toby to shed light on the history and latest work of this important and impactful congressional alliance.
If you are with a Research!America alliance member organization, email Jacqueline [email protected] for the registration link.
Date: Wednesday, July 24, 2024 12:00 PM EDT
On June 6, 2024, House Energy & Commerce Committee Members Larry Bucshon (R-LA), Vice Chair of the Health Subcommittee, and Diana DeGette (D-CO), Ranking Member of the Energy, Climate, and Grid Security Subcommittee, released a request for input on a new iteration of the landmark, bipartisan 21st Century Cures Act. With the August 2nd due date approaching for input on what Congress can do to responsibly speed the pace and expand the reach of medical and public health progress, join us for a discussion on Wednesday, July 24 at 12:00 p.m. ET with Emily Mace, Chief of Staff and Counsel for Rep. Bucshon, and David Steury, Health Policy Director for Rep. DeGette.
If your organization is a Research!America alliance member, email Jacqueline Lagoy to receive the Zoom registration link.
Date: Friday, July 19, 2024 11:00 AM EDT
Ancestry-associated genes have an important impact on mental health, yet only 5% of neuroscience research subjects are from underrepresented populations. This limits the application of research into a variety of diseases such as Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s Disease. On Friday, July 19 at 11:00 a.m. ET, the African Ancestry Neuroscience Research Institute joined us to discuss their work in increasing the diversity of neuroscience research. The organization’s work on the role of genetic ancestry in several neurological diseases has recently been published in Nature Neuroscience. Speakers include:
Dr. Alvin C. Hathaway, Sr., Co-founder of African Ancestry Neuroscience Research Initiative, Pastor Emeritus of Union Baptist Church; President/CEO of Beloved Community Services Corporation
Daniel Weinberger, MD, Director and CEO of the Lieber Institute for Brain Development; Professor of Psychiatry, Neurology, Neuroscience, and Genetic Medicine at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine
Kafui Dzirasa, MD, PhD, Professor of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Neurobiology, Biomedical Engineering, and Neurosurgery at Duke University; Investigator at the Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Gwenaëlle E. Thomas, PhD, Scientific Project Manager at the Lieber Institute for Brain Development (LIBD); Adjunct Professor of Biology at Morgan State University
Date: Thursday, July 11, 2024 1:00 PM EDT
Clinical trials are essential to making cutting-edge research available to all Americans, but participating in these trials can be a financial burden for participants and their families. Earlier this year, Representatives Mike Kelly (R-PA-16) and Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA-6) introduced H.R. 7418, the Harley Jacobsen Clinical Trial Participant Income Exemption Act. The bipartisan bill would exempt clinical trial payments received by participants from taxes to help make clinical trials more accessible to everyone. Quinn Ritchie, Legislative Director to Representative Kelly, joined us for a conversation on congressional efforts to increase access to clinical trials and the potential impact of this bill.
Date: Tuesday, July 9, 2024 2:00 PM EDT
Earlier this year, record-breaking outbreaks of dengue fever drew significant attention worldwide, including the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico. Though once seen as a disease that only afflicted people in developing countries, dengue and other tropical diseases are an increasing global and public health threat. On Tuesday, July 9th we were joined by Dr. David Fitter, Director, Division of Global Migration Health, Dr. Monica Parise, Deputy Director for Science and Program, Division of Parasitic Diseases and Malaria, and Dr. Lyle Petersen, Director, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases from the CDC National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) to discuss the rising threat of these diseases in the US, the role vector and human populations play, and future projections.
Date: Monday, July 8, 2024 12:00 PM EDT
We hosted a second alliance member-only Zoom meeting focused on the NIH Reform Framework for Discussion Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) released on July 14. Featuring Grace Graham and Molly (Brimmer) Lolli with the Majority staff of the House Energy and Commerce Committee and Kathryn Salmon with the Majority staff of the House Labor, Health and Human Services, Education and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) Subcommittee, the discussion will also address restructuring proposals from the framework that have been incorporated into the House FY25 Labor-HHS appropriations bill.
Date: Monday, June 24, 2024 12:00 PM EDT
On Friday, June 14, Representative Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), who chairs the House Energy & Commerce Committee, released a report and framework recommending significant changes in the structure and operations of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Her press release on the framework links to a commentary in STAT she and Labor-HHS Appropriations Chair Robert Aderholt (R-AL) authored that sets the stage for the reform framework.
It is important to recognize that the patient and research community’s response to these developments, including our willingness to engage, the approach we take, and the nature and scope of the input we provide, could bear significantly on NIH funding in FY25 and NIH overall going forward.
If…
1) You are with an organization that is a current Research!America alliance member;
or
2) Your organization has connected with Kristen from our team to join (your timing could not be better!)
We invite you to be part of an off-the-record, pop-up alliance member-only Zoom meeting on Monday, June 24 at Noon ET to discuss these developments. The stakeholder-informed NIH report Senate HELP Committee Ranking Member Bill Cassidy (R-LA) issued will also be important to this conversation.
Email Jacqueline Lagoy [email protected] or drop your info here and we’ll send you a calendar invite with a Zoom link. Again, this meeting will be off-the-record and is open to Research!America alliance members only; please do not share the Zoom link we send you.
Date: Thursday, June 20, 2024 12:00 PM EDT
Dr. Bruce Tromberg, Director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), joined us to discuss the critical role the Institute plays in advancing early detection, accurate diagnosis, and effective treatment of a host of deadly and debilitating health threats. What are the greatest hopes and biggest challenges in the medical technology arena?
Date: Thursday, June 13, 2024 11:00 AM EDT
Globally, there are millions of people diagnosed with diseases that have no available or approved treatments. Drug repurposing or using an approved drug as a new treatment for another disease has been an effective, but underutilized tool in therapeutic discovery. In February 2024, Every Cure received an ARPA-H Project Award to develop an AI-powered platform, called ML/AI-enabled Therapeutic Repurposing In eXtended uses (MATRIX). Co-Founder & President of Every Cure, Dr. David Fajgenbaum, joined us to share how he repurposed an existing drug to save his life and now is on a mission to unlock treatments for millions more using the power of AI.
Date: Tuesday, June 4, 2024 12:00 PM EDT
Since its establishment in 2022, the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) has been working to accelerate better health outcomes for everyone by supporting “big bets” in the health arena: time-limited, high-risk, high-reward projects aimed at achieving major breakthroughs in health. Megan Frisk, PhD, director for International Affairs at ARPA-H, joined us for a conversation on how ARPA-H is working to find high-impact, novel solutions to society’s most challenging health problems and how they engage internationally.
Date: Wednesday, May 29, 2024 12:00 PM EDT
Sepsis, a life-threatening emergency that happens when your body’s response to an infection damages vital organs, affects over 1.7 million people and takes the lives of over 6,800 children in the U.S. each year. On Wednesday, May 29 at noon E.T. Thomas Heymann, President & CEO of Sepsis Alliance, and Dr. Mallory Perry-Eaddy, Assistant Professor at the University of Connecticut School of Nursing and member of the Sepsis Alliance Advisory Board joined us to discuss the devastating effects of sepsis on children and people of all ages and how Sepsis Alliance is working to promote needed research, raise sepsis awareness in the community, and educate healthcare professionals to diagnose and treat sepsis faster, to save lives.
Date: Wednesday, May 22, 2024 11:00 AM EDT
As part of the National Institutes of Health, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) works to ensure that our nation remains at the forefront of addressing the burden of over forty infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases. On Wednesday, May 22, the Director of NIAID, Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo joined us for an alliance discussion. She discussed the breadth of NIAID’s research portfolio, the key role NIAID plays in pandemic R&D, and NIAID’s response to the growing threat of Neglected Tropical Diseases and antimicrobial resistance in the U.S.
Date: Wednesday, May 15, 2024 12:00 PM EDT
Both the House and Senate are determined to complete their versions of all 12 Fiscal Year 2025 appropriations bills well before Congress adjourns for August recess. At the same time, there are valid concerns regarding the insufficiency of the debt ceiling deal-imposed caps on Defense and Non-Defense discretionary spending.
What does this all mean for the federal funding needed to drive scientific, medical, and public health progress? Participate in an off-the-record virtual conversation with Jonathan Daniels, Deputy Director, Coalition for Health Funding, for answers to those and other questions arising from yet another tumultuous appropriations process.
If you are a Research!America alliance member, email Jacqueline [email protected] for the registration link.
Date: Tuesday, May 7, 2024 12:00 PM EDT
On March 2nd, 2024, Representatives Mike Levin (CA-49) and Drew Ferguson (GA-03) reintroduced the bipartisan Saving Us from Pandemic Era Resistance by Building a Unified Global Strategy (SUPER BUGS) Act. The bill, H.R. 1305, is intended to assure a coordinated, collaborative global response to the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance. On May 7th at noon E.T. Alison Feinswog, Senior Legislative Assistant to Representative Levin, joined us for a conversation on congressional efforts to fight antimicrobial resistance and the potential impact of the SUPER BUGS Act.
Date: Tuesday, April 30, 2024 12:00 PM EDT
If you are with a Research!America alliance member, join us on April 30th at noon ET for an off-the-record discussion with Nick Bath and Adam Finkelstein from Manatt, Phelps & Phillips. We’ve asked Nick and Adam to provide an update on implementation of the Medicare drug price negotiation provisions of the IRA. Regardless of one’s views on these highly charged provisions, there is no doubt that IRA implementation decisions being made now will bear on the amount and distribution of biomedical R&D investment going forward. How is HHS establishing the starting point for each price negotiation? What are the most productive ways to weigh in at this point in the process? What does the future hold for negotiations? Join us with your questions and insights.
If you represent an alliance member organization, email Jacqueline Lagoy [email protected] for the registration link.
Date: Thursday, April 25, 2024 12:00 PM EDT
Women continue to be understudied and underrepresented in health research despite meaningful reforms over the past three decades. On April 25th at noon E.T. Katie Schubert, President and CEO of the Society for Women’s Health Research (SWHR), and Lori Frank, President of Women’s Health Access Matters (WHAM), joined us to discuss actions by the Biden Administration and Congress to confront these persistent challenges.
Date: Tuesday, April 9, 2024 12:00 PM EDT
On Tuesday, April 9 at noon ET, leading psychologist and behavioral research specialist, Dr. Cheryl McNeil, Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Florida, joined us to discuss the research that is helping children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and their parents navigate their day to day lives. Dr. McNeil discussed her groundbreaking therapeutic approach, Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT) for young children with behavioral challenges or emotional disorders and how it can be applied to children with ASD, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and even opioid addiction. Learn how Dr. McNeil’s evidence-based intervention and the research that underlies it is assisting families in the U.S. and around the globe.
Watching the recording and view the slides.
Date: Wednesday, April 3, 2024 12:00 PM EDT
Community-Based Participatory Research for Public Health: Challenges, Opportunities, and Approaches
Dr. Karen Andes, Director of the MPH Program, Associate Professor of Behavioral and Social Sciences at Brown University, joined us to explain the principles of community-based participatory research (CBPR), and provide a brief overview of participatory approaches to public health research, particularly as related to working with special or under-resourced populations. She discussed some of the challenges in applying CBPR as well as the unique opportunities that participatory research presents as compared to traditional research approaches in prioritizing the lived experience of participants. In addition, she highlighted the advantages of engaging with communities using arts-based approaches and provided examples of effective empirical applications.
Watch the recording and view the slides.
Date: Thursday, March 28, 2024 4:00 PM EDT
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is turning 75 this year! For 75 years, NIMH has transformed the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses through basic and clinical research—bringing hope to millions of people. Dr. Joshua Gordon, Director of the National Institute of Mental Health joined us share his thoughts on the Institutes’ evolution and its current work at a time when mental health is front and center among health concerns in the US and globally.
Date: Tuesday, March 26, 2024 12:00 PM EDT
We hope you can join us on March 26 at noon ET for a second off-the record alliance members-only meeting with fan favorite, Erik Fatemi. Barring the unforeseeable, all 12 FY24 appropriations bills will be signed into law by that date, the President’s FY25 budget will be available, and the picture will be clearer on the future of NIST’s proposed “march-in” framework.
If you are a Research!America alliance member, please email Jacqueline Lagoy [email protected] for the registration link.
Date: Thursday, March 21, 2024 12:00 PM EDT
VA research does not demand the spotlight, but richly deserves it: from conducting the first trials of effective treatments of tuberculosis to pioneering the treatment of hypertension, the VA has been at the forefront of research advances that benefit veterans and us all. On Thursday, March 21st at 12:00 p.m. ET, the National Association of Veterans’ Research and Education Foundations joined us. These unique and extraordinarily effective organizations are at the center of VA research collaboration and innovation. As the VA celebrates an extraordinary milestone in its landmark 1 Million Veteran research initiative, we took a look at an unsung ecosystem responsible for untold medical and public health progress.
Date: Wednesday, March 6, 2024 11:00 AM EST
With Americans preparing to cast their ballots this fall, keeping a pulse on public opinion is key! For more than 30 years, Research!America has commissioned public opinion surveys to help understand Americans’ views on medical, health, and scientific research and other pressing issues related to public health, research, and innovation.
On Wednesday, March 6 at 11 am E.T. Mary Woolley, President and CEO of Research!America, shared newly released data from a national, omnibus survey commissioned in January 2024 by Research!America on topics like support for federally funded research, trust in science, global competitiveness, and more. Following an overview of our survey results, Erin Brown, Associate Director of Communications and Marketing at Research!America, and Jenny Luray, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Public Engagement at Research!America joined the conversation for a fireside chat on the results and their impact.
Date: Thursday, February 29, 2024 2:00 PM EST
Since 2018, The All of Us Research Program within the National Institutes of Health has undertaken a historic effort to collect and study data from one million or more people living in the United States to create better health for all of us through precision medicine. On February 29 at 2 pm ET, Dr. Josh Denny, Chief Executive Officer of the All of Us Research Program, joined us to discuss the work of the All of Us Research Program, including their efforts to build a diverse database that can inform thousands of studies on a variety of health conditions.
Date: Thursday, February 22, 2024 1:00 PM EST
Emily Holubowich, National Senior Vice President of Federal Advocacy with the American Heart Association and a national expert on federal health and fiscal policy, joined us for an alliance member-only to discuss FY24 and FY25 appropriations and clarify the ever-more confusing appropriations landscape.
Date: Monday, February 12, 2024 1:30 PM EST
Dr. Abraham Verghese, Bestselling Author of Cutting for Stone and The Covenant of Water, Linda R. Meier and Joan F. Lane Provostial Professor and Vice Chair of the Department of Medicine at Stanford University School of Medicine, joined us to discuss how his career in medicine and writing has shaped his outlook on the art and science of human connection.
Dr. Verghese is the 2024 Advocacy Awardee for the Isadore Rosenfeld Award for Impact on Public Opinion, an award presented annually to a news media representative or other influential individual who has been extraordinarily effective in delivering medical, public health, or other health-related research advocacy messages to the public. Learn more about our Advocacy Awards and view our full slate of 2024 honorees.
Date: Tuesday, February 6, 2024 12:00 PM EST
Considered one of the top global health threats facing humanity by the World Health Organization, antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is on the rise. In the United States alone, AMR is implicated in nearly 3 million infections and tens of thousands of deaths each year. On February 6th at 12 PM ET, Dr. Elaine Larson, Anna C Maxwell Professor Emerita and Special Lecturer, School of Nursing; Professor of Epidemiology Emerita, Mailman School of Public Health, Columbia University; and Senior Scholar in Residence, New York Academy of Medicine, joined us to provide new details about the AMR threat and how we can chart a path to ensure antibiotics remain part of our disease arsenal.
Date: Thursday, February 1, 2024 1:00 PM EST
Research!America hosted a conversation about the importance and impact of advocacy with two extraordinary research champions. Dr. Joanne Pike, President and CEO of the Alzheimer’s Association, and Tony Gonzales, Alzheimer’s Association National Early-Stage Advisor, joined us for this important discussion. The Alzheimer’s Association is the recipient of Research!America’s 2024 Paul G. Rogers Distinguished Organization Advocacy Award. Dr. Pike and Mr. Gonzales will discuss the Alzheimer’s Association’s work to address the dementia public health crisis, and what it takes to be an effective advocate on behalf of us all.
Date: Tuesday, January 30, 2024 12:30 PM EST
Meeting the Moment: A conversation with public health champion Celine Gounder
What comes to mind when you think of medical progress? Lives saved; diseases eradicated; lessons learned? Join us on January 30 at 12:30 p.m. Eastern for a discussion with Dr. Celine Gounder, Senior Fellow and Editor-at-Large for Public Health, KFF Health News, and recipient of Research!America’s 2024 Meeting the Moment for Public Health Award. Dr. Gounder will share insights from her career in epidemiology and health news reporting on how we meet the moment when tackling large-scale health threats, from smallpox to COVID-19, and speed the pace of medical progress.
Dr. Gounder is the 2024 Advocacy Awardee for the Meeting the Moment for Public Health Award, an award recognizing an individual that has been a “clear voice,” playing a key role in communicating important public health information to the public and rising to the challenge of the day. This award is part of the suite of Outstanding Achievement in Public Health Awards, generously supported by Johnson & Johnson. Learn more about our Advocacy Awards and view our full slate of 2024 honorees.
Date: Tuesday, January 23, 2024 11:30 AM EST
Where and when will the next infectious disease outbreak come? How can we ensure that our public health system is prepared? Dr. Rita Colwell, a Distinguished University Professor at the University of Maryland College Park, Founder of CosmosID, Inc., and former Director of the National Science Foundation, and the recipient of Research!America’s 2024 Builders of Science Award, discussed the strategies and tools that she has used to track outbreaks in United Nations countries and how these strategies and other advances may better prepare public health for the next outbreak.
Dr. Colwell is the 2024 Advocacy Awardee for the Builders of Science Award, an award that recognizes distinguished scientists who have provided inspiration and determination in building or re-building an outstanding home for research. This award is part of the suite of Outstanding Achievement in Public Health Awards, generously supported by Johnson & Johnson. Learn more about our Advocacy Awards and view our full slate of 2024 honorees.
Date: Thursday, January 18, 2024 2:00 PM EST
If your organization is a member of the Research!America Alliance, please join us for an off-the-record alliance member-only discussion with Brian Fahey, Legislative Director in the office of House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee Chair Brett Guthrie (R-KY-2). We’ve asked Brian to discuss Chair Guthrie’s priorities for this key subcommittee, which has jurisdiction over NIH, ARPA-H, FDA, CDC, ASPR, BARDA, and the list goes on. Will the Pandemic and All Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA) be reauthorized this year? Will the subcommittee move forward with the reauthorization of NIH? How can advocates help the subcommittee as it works to address the opioid crisis, the mental health crisis, maternal mortality, antimicrobial resistance and other pressing health threats?
If you are a Research!America alliance member, please email Jacqueline Lagoy [email protected] for the registration link.
Date: Tuesday, January 16, 2024 2:30 PM EST
From public sector to private sector to philanthropy, the unique ecosystem of research and discovery in the United States has shepherded countless advances in science and medicine for decades. Dr. Robert Conn, Walter Zable Distinguished Professor and Dean Emeritus of Engineering at the University of California, San Diego, and recipient of Research!America’s 2024 Gordon and Llura Gund Leadership Award, discusses the role that American philanthropy has played in U.S. research and the unique advantages that this has provided to allow America’s research sector to flourish.
Date: Friday, January 12, 2024 12:00 PM EST
Complex and longstanding challenges are keeping our world out of balance, making us all more vulnerable to threats that could impact the future wellbeing of millions across the globe. We have a window of time as we recover from the impacts of COVID to innovate and improve global health. Dr. Howard Zucker, Deputy Director for Global Health at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, joined us to discuss the CDC’s work abroad and how it is instrumental in protecting the health of the United States and the international community: What are the “underlying conditions” our planet is suffering from today? And what is CDC doing to help address their impacts and ensure a healthier future for us all?
Date: Thursday, January 4, 2024 11:00 AM EST
New Year, Old Budget
All signs point to more mayhem in January as Congressional leadership navigates the twists and turns of the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations process. Erik Fatemi of Cornerstone Government Affairs joined us for an off-the-record conversation about the appropriations outlook and what that means for research advocacy. In particular, he walked through the potential impact of the Fiscal Responsibility Act on NIH and other research agencies.
Date: Tuesday, December 5, 2023 12:00 PM EST
Norm Augustine, a leader in the decades long effort to elevate the priority of science and technology in our nation, joined us for an alliance discussion. The Honorable Bart Gordon, Member of Congress, 1985-2011, and Chair of the House Science Committee, 2007–2010, spoke with Norm about his storied career in federal and nonprofit service and as the former CEO of Lockheed Martin, and asked him to share insights from his influential leadership role in the R&D advocacy arena.
Date: Wednesday, November 29, 2023 12:00 PM EST
On Wednesday, November 29 at noon ET, suicide prevention researcher Dr. Philip Baiden, Associate Professor at the University of Texas at Arlington’s School of Social Work, joined us for an important Alliance Discussion on suicide prevention. A leading expert in the field, Dr. Baiden’s vast expertise includes the social determinants of health, adolescent health risk behaviors, and substance use and mental health outcomes. Dr. Baiden spoke with us about his research on the relationship between adverse childhood experiences and suicidal behaviors in children and adolescents as we work toward a stronger understanding of suicide prevention and how to support those in need.
Date: Monday, November 20, 2023 12:00 PM EST
On Monday, November 20, at noon ET, epidemiologist and leading public health expert, Dr. E. Oscar Alleyne, Managing Director of the Public Health Division at MITRE, joined us for a special Public Health Thank You Day alliance discussion. MITRE partners across government, industry, and academia to improve our nation’s public health and well-being. Dr. Alleyne shared how improvements in our public health infrastructure and data modernization have helped communities around the country better tackle public health threats. Dr. Alleyne also shared a call to action for integrating people-centered approaches to delivering public health services. Watch the recording.
Date: Thursday, November 16, 2023 2:00 PM EST
It has been just over one year since the launch of BD2: Breakthrough Discoveries for Thriving with Bipolar Disorder. BD2 is a philanthropically driven nonprofit initiative that seeks to develop effective interventions so that all people with bipolar disorder thrive. To shorten the time it takes from research findings into clinical care, we have awarded over $60 million of funding to researchers, scientists, and clinicians to build a community focused on enhancing collaboration and open science across the teams. We featured Dr. Cara Altimus, Dr. Emily Baxi, and Dr. Daniel Pham to discuss the numerous mechanisms to encourage collaboration within the network to accelerate change in the bipolar disorder field.
View the slides and watch the recording.
Date: Tuesday, November 14, 2023 12:00 PM EST
Join us on Tuesday, November 14 at noon ET, for a timely Alliance Discussion ahead of the impending Continuing Resolution expiration on November 17th. If your organization is a Research!America member, we invite you to an off-the-record conversation with Rob Smith, Managing Director at Capital Alpha. With over two decades of experience in Washington’s healthcare landscape, Rob will delve into the complexities of Congress’s current happenings. He’ll help walk us through the outlook for FY24 appropriations following the November 17th Continuing Resolution expiration, what recent Congressional leadership changes mean as we enter an election year, and more. Bring your questions and insights!
Email Jacqueline at [email protected] for the member-only registration link.
Date: Monday, November 6, 2023 12:00 PM EST
A diverse and inclusive research environment that engages scientists and community members is key to good science that leads to better health outcomes for all. Gelise Thomas, Assistant Director of Strategic DEI & Health Disparities at the Clinical and Translational Science Collaborative of Northern Ohio (CTSC) within Case Western Reserve University, joined us for an alliance discussion on November 6, at noon ET, to speak about the work of CTSC and how their Research Equity, Accessibility, Diversity, and Inclusion (READI) initiatives are working to shape a more diverse and equitable research landscape.
Date: Tuesday, October 31, 2023 12:00 PM EDT
In the midst of multiple AI-related congressional and administration policy and regulatory initiatives, we continue to receive requests for alliance discussions that take a step back and address big picture AI concepts. Outside of any particular use of AI, what are the concepts, terms, capacities, and issues that distinguish AI from good old-fashioned IT? Haven’t robots and virtual reality been around forever? What’s everyone suddenly so concerned about? And are calls for successfully regulating AI truly going to lead anywhere, or has that ship sailed?
We asked the best of the best, Tom Romanoff, the Director of the Technology Project at the Bipartisan Policy Center, to join us on the 31st for the express purpose of bringing AI down to earth. AI has the potential to bring about positive, negative, and “eye of the beholder” changes to our society and our lives. Research advocates, and really, all of us everywhere, have a stake in ensuring society leverage AI without becoming subservient to it.
Date: Tuesday, October 24, 2023 12:00 PM EDT
If your organization is a Research!America member, join us on Tuesday, October 24, at noon ET, for an off-the-record conversation with Kathryn Bell, Minority Health Policy Advisor to the Senate HELP Committee. Kathryn will discuss the request for information on NIH reform from HELP Committee Ranking Member Cassidy as the deadline for stakeholder feedback (October 27) approaches.
Email Jacqueline at [email protected] for the member-only registration link.
Date: Tuesday, October 17, 2023 2:00 PM EDT
New Public Health Horizons: the evolving science of wastewater Intelligence
Edwin Oh, PhD, Associate Professor at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV), joined us for an alliance discussion to chat about the impact, potential, and limitations of wastewater “intelligence.” Among his diverse areas of expertise, Dr. Oh is breaking new ground in wastewater surveillance and analysis as a means of minimizing the toll of infectious diseases and other public health threats. View his slides and watch the recording.
Date: Wednesday, October 11, 2023 12:00 PM EDT
Join Research!America on Wednesday, October 11 at noon Eastern for a quick check in on what’s happening (or not) in Congress. We’ll discuss the continuing push and pull around FY24 funding and other R&D-related developments with Capitol Hill veteran Mary Dee Beal, Principal at KDCR Partners.
Email Jacqueline at [email protected] for the member-only registration link.
Date: Tuesday, October 3, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
Incentivizing Hard-won Solutions
David Ridley joined us to discuss Priority Review Vouchers (PRV)s.The PRV is an R&D investment incentive designed to spur development in areas of unmet medical need. The first PRV program, focused on the development of drugs for neglected tropical diseases (NTDs), was signed into law in 2007, and subsequent legislation expanded the availability of this incentive to include drugs for rare pediatric diseases and medical countermeasures.
Dr. Ridley walked us through a quick “PRV 101” and shared his thoughts on the future of these and other incentives aimed at addressing critical gaps in R&D investment.
Date: Tuesday, September 26, 2023 12:00 PM EDT
Rural Health Disparities: What will it take to make progress?
Rural Americans face a range of alarming health disparities compared to their urban counterparts. Some grim examples: according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), rural Americans are more likely to die from cancer, heart disease, unintentional injury, and stroke than those living in urban areas. What role can research play in addressing these disparities? What has research already revealed about the known causes of rural health disparities, and what innovative strategies are being deployed to address those causes?
Leading rural health experts from the University of Illinois Rockford, Dr. Brianna Sheppard and Dr. Heidi Olson, joined us to discuss.
Date: Thursday, September 14, 2023 12:00 PM EDT
The September 30th end of Fiscal Year 2023 is fast approaching. What’s possible, probable, and probably not in the cards as R&D relevant funding and policy priorities hang in the balance? If your organization is a Research!America alliance member, join us for a candid, off-the record conversation with two highly respected Capitol Hill Veterans, Cheryl Jaeger and Jane Loewenson. Cheryl and Jane have agreed to walk us through the good, the bad, and the ugly as Congress considers issues bearing on the pace, reach, and sustainability of medical and public health progress.
Email Jacqueline at [email protected] for the member-only registration link.
Date: Thursday, September 7, 2023 1:00 PM EDT
Our world is more connected than ever before. Our communities lie at our fingertips, from Twitter to Instagram to TikTok, but does interconnectedness have its drawbacks? What does it mean to grow up in a world where your community is online?
Dr. Mitch Prinstein, Chief Science Officer at the American Psychological Association, joined us to discuss how social media is affecting our youth. He shared insights from APA’s recent report about social media and adolescents and APA’s priorities in the area of adolescent mental health. Watch his presentation and view his slides.
Date: Thursday, August 24, 2023 12:00 PM EDT
Date: Wednesday, August 23, 2023 12:00 PM EDT
Date: Wednesday, August 2, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
What is NIH’s Role in Securing the Research Workforce?
Jon R. Lorsch, PhD, Director of the National Institute of General Medical Sciences at NIH joined us to provide an update on the Institute’s role in bringing about more sustainable and inclusive career paths for early career researchers across medical and health research engineering disciplines. View the slides and watch the recording.
Date: Wednesday, July 26, 2023 12:00 PM EDT
Bill Novelli, Founder of the Business for Impact Center at Georgetown University McDonough School of Business joined Research!America to discuss the art and science of effective R&D advocacy. Bill Novelli co-founded the Campaign for Tobacco-Free Kids and the Coalition to Transform Advanced Care, and is the author of “Good Business: The Talk, Fight, Win Way to Change the World.” Our own Mary Woolley, President and CEO of Research!America, also joined the conversation. Mary and Bill looked at successful, and not so successful, avenues to greater support for public and private sector-fueled R&D.
Date: Wednesday, July 19, 2023 2:30 PM EDT
How is the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) helping to better protect the U.S. from public health threats? Dan Jernigan, MD, MPH, Director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) at the CDC, joined us to discuss the new vision for NCEZID and how the Center is incorporating innovation into its mission. This includes advanced molecular detection, how wastewater surveillance is critical to monitoring disease outbreaks, and how the CDC is tackling the growing threat of antimicrobial resistance. Watch the recording.
Note: During the presentation, a second malaria case in Texas is mentioned. This case has not been classified as a locally acquired. The latest data on locally acquired malaria can be found at CDC’s website.
Date: Tuesday, July 11, 2023 12:00 PM EDT
If your organization is a member of Research!America, join us on for a discussion with Paul Kim, Principal at Kendall Square Policy Strategies LLC, for an update on where we are in the process to reauthorize the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA). Signed into law in 2006, this legislation that has dramatically bolstered our nations multi-agency biodefense infrastructure and reauthorization remains critical to our continued preparedness for known and unknown biosecurity threats. This is a members-only, off-the-record discussion. Email Jacqueline at [email protected] for the member-only registration link.
Date: Thursday, June 29, 2023 1:00 PM EDT
Congressional veteran Mary Dee Beal, Principal at KDCR Partners, joined us for a closed-door discussion for an update on where we are in the Fiscal Year 2024 appropriations process following the signing of the Fiscal Responsibility Act.
Date: Thursday, June 15, 2023 11:30 AM EDT
Date: Monday, June 12, 2023 12:00 PM EDT
We held an off-the-record conversation with James Lucier of Capital Alpha Partners about the implications of the debt deal for research, public health, and public-private R&D partnerships. What is the outlook for funding for NIH and other research and public health agencies? What does the deal mean for pandemic preparedness? What can advocates do to help shape the answers to those questions? Does the deal affect other legislative efforts, like reauthorization of PAHPA.
Date: Thursday, June 8, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
More than 6.7 million individuals in the U.S. have Alzheimer’s disease, and that number is growing rapidly. Each day that passes without effective treatments brings tragic consequences for patients and their loved ones. As the debate over coverage for new Alzheimer’s drugs continues, Jeffrey Cummings, MD, ScD, of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, joined us to discuss the challenging path that led to these medicines, the state of the science now, and hope for the future. Watch the recording and view his slides.
Date: Tuesday, June 6, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
Neil Vora, MD, a physician with Conservation International, joined us to discuss his work in addressing pandemic prevention. His work focuses on the link between human health and the health of the planet – particularly as it relates to the increasing threat of viruses that can ‘spillover’ from animals to humans – and how policy can be used to prevent future pandemics. View his slides and watch the recording.
Date: Wednesday, May 24, 2023 1:00 PM EDT
More than 27,000 individuals – many of them luminaries in the field of artificial intelligence (AI) — have signed an open letter by the Future of Life Institute calling for a pause in the training of AI systems more powerful than GPT-4. Given the widespread implications of AI for research and health (and virtually everything else), key signatory, Vincent Conitzer, PhD, joined us for an alliance discussion on the concerns that prompted this letter and its many supporters. Watch the recording.
Date: Tuesday, May 23, 2023 12:00 PM EDT
Peter Marks, MD, PhD, director of the Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) at FDA, joined us for a members-only alliance discussion to discuss efforts to shape a robust, cost- and time-efficient regulatory review pathway for advances in gene therapy. Offering unimagined hope for the treatment and cure of rare childhood diseases and other treatment-elusive health threats, gene therapy is one of the most promising, and challenging, areas of focus for 21st century science. This was a members-only, off-the-record discussion.
Date: Wednesday, May 17, 2023 12:00 PM EDT
Steven Grossman, Executive Director of Alliance for a Stronger FDA, joined us to discuss all things FDA, including recent developments bearing on FDA’s role in the R&D ecosystem and the President’s FY 24 budget. Watch the recording.
Date: Thursday, May 11, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
Gary Gibbons, MD, Director of the NIH National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, joined us for a Zoom conversation about where we stand in the fight against sickle cell disease (SCD). SCD affects over 20 million people worldwide, including nearly 100,000 in the U.S. alone. Progress against this disease has been tragically slow. However, recent advances offer renewed hope. Dr. Gibbons shared his perspective on the path that has brought us here and what the future may bring, against a health threat that heightens health disparities and has for far too long has eluded medical progress. Watch the recording.
Date: Tuesday, May 9, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
Sara Maskornick, Democratic Staff Director of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Subcommittee on Children & Families, joined us for a closed-door, alliance member-only meeting to provide an update on the Senate’s efforts to develop and secure passage of legislation to reauthorize the Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA). Signed into law in 2006, PAHPA dramatically bolstered our nation’s multi-agency biodefense infrastructure. In the lingering wake of COVID-19 and with other biosecurity threats emerging, the need to revisit and reauthorize the law has never been more important. This was a members-only, off-the-record discussion.
Date: Tuesday, May 2, 2023 1:00 PM EDT
John Crowley, Chairman and CEO, Amicus Therapeutics, joined us to discuss the personal journey that led to his remarkable impact on progress against rare diseases, and the path to dramatically faster progress going forward. Watch the recording.
Date: Wednesday, April 26, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
Meena Seshamani, MD, PhD, Deputy Administrator and Director of Center for Medicare at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services joined us to discuss the status of the Inflation Reduction Act implementation and how CMS is incorporating external input, along with other facets of this complex and consequential implementation process. This was a members-only, off-the-record discussion.
Date: Monday, April 24, 2023 3:00 PM EDT
Rebecca Cunningham, MD, Vice President for Research at the University of Michigan, joined us to discuss the role of research in addressing firearm injury as the individual and societal toll of this deadly public health threat grows. Watch the recording and view her slides.
Date: Monday, April 17, 2023 1:00 PM EDT
Date: Wednesday, April 12, 2023 2:00 PM EDT
Research is only as good as the data informing it. Mary Pittman, President and CEO, Public Health Institute (PHI) joined us for a discussion focused on what good data really looks like in the context of public health research; tools and approaches to make data more precise; and how social determinants of health and other community-informed measures provide critical context to make public health data—and the research that comes from it—more meaningful and actionable. Watch the recording and view the slides.
Date: Wednesday, April 5, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
Tish Hevel, CEO of The Brain Donor Project, joined us for a discussion on brain donation. In concert with the NeuroBioBank of the National Institutes of Health, The Brain Donor Project is the leading organization working to increase awareness and facilitate brain donation in pursuit of faster neurological scientific breakthroughs. Tish helped illuminate the process of brain donation, dispel the myths surrounding it, and shared how the Brain Donor Project can help you and your loved ones be the brain behind the breakthrough. Watch the recording and view the slides.
Date: Wednesday, March 22, 2023 11:00 AM EDT
Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), joined us for a candid conversation about the opioid crisis. Where are we on the arduous path to ending this crisis? How is public and private sector-fueled research contributing? Your participation added value to a conversation focused on a battle our nation and the global community can, and must, win. Watch the recording and view the slides.
Date: Tuesday, March 21, 2023 1:00 PM EDT
Date: Monday, March 13, 2023 12:00 PM EDT
Emily Holubowich, VP of Federal Advocacy at the American Heart Association, joined us for a close-door discussion on the President’s Fiscal Year 2024 budget request. She also discussed the outlook for FY24 appropriations generally, in what can only be described as an indescribable federal funding environment. This was a members-only, off-the-record discussion.
Date: Monday, March 6, 2023 1:00 PM EST
We were joined by Caroline Montojo, PhD, President of the Dana Foundation. Dr. Montojo discussed highlights from the 2022 national survey we commissioned in partnership with the Dana Foundation, on brain health and brain health research. Additionally, she shed light on the Foundation’s vision for a future in which brain science benefits from and reflects society. Watch the recording and view the slides.
Date: Wednesday, February 15, 2023 12:00 PM EST
What are FDA’s 2023 priorities under the new drug and medical device user fee bills? What exactly was included about clinical trial diversity in December’s Omnibus legislation? FDA Deputy Commissioner for Policy, Legislation and International Affairs, Andi Fristedt, joined us to share an inside look at key issues impacting patients, researchers, and industry. Watch the recording.
Date: Tuesday, February 14, 2023 1:00 PM EST
Debi Brooks, Chief Executive Officer and co-founder of the Michael J. Fox Foundation – recipient of our 2023 Paul G. Rogers Distinguished Organization Advocacy Award – joined us to discuss their critical work in Parkinson’s Disease research the foundation is doing and their unique vantage on patient engagement. Watch the recording.
Date: Monday, February 6, 2023 12:00 PM EST
If your organization is a member of Research!America, join us for a closed door discussion with congressional and executive branch veterans from both sides of the aisle, Julie Hershey Carr and Lisa Kountoupes. This was a members-only, off-the-record discussion.
Date: Thursday, February 2, 2023 11:00 AM EST
Dr. Helene Gayle, President of Spelman College and recipient of Research!America’s 2023 Geoffrey Beene Foundation Builders of Science Award, joined us for an alliance discussion. Dr. Gayle has contributed in profoundly important ways to addressing the social determinants that impact health and the inequities that compromise it. Watch this thought- and action-inspiring conversation between Dr. Gayle and Research!America Board Member Dr. Michelle McMurry-Heath.
Date: Monday, January 30, 2023 2:30 PM EST
Hip Hop Public Health Executive Director and CEO, Lori Rose Benson, and President and Founder, Dr. Olajide Williams, of Hip Hop Public Health, joined us for a special alliance discussion. Through Hip Hop Public Health‘s pioneering Multisensory Multilevel Health Education Model, youth develop essential health literacy knowledge and skills, and serve as intergenerational advocates for themselves, their families and their communities. Hip Hop Public Health is the recipient of Research!America’s 2023 Meeting the Moment for Public Health Award. Watch the recording.
Date: Wednesday, January 25, 2023 1:30 PM EST
Dr. Margaret Hamburg. Margaret A. Hamburg, MD, an internationally recognized leader in public health, medicine, and biomedical research and innovation, joined us for an alliance discussion. She has served in numerous leadership roles including Commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration, National Academy of Medicine Foreign Secretary, President/Chair of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, Vice President/Senior Scientist at the Nuclear Threat Initiative, Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (DHHS), New York City Health Commissioner, and Assistant Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease. Dr. Hamburg is the recipient of the Research!America’s 2023 Outstanding Achievement in Public Health Award. Watch the recording.
Date: Tuesday, January 17, 2023 1:30 PM EST
Pamela Davis, MD, PhD, Arline H. & Curtis F. Garvin Research Professor at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine recipient of Research!America’s 2023 Herbert Pardes Family Award for National Leadership in Advocacy for Research was joined by her colleague, Heidi Gullett, MD, MPH, for a discussion on the vital role of the community–as planners, participants and advocates–within the research team. Watch the recording.
Date: Thursday, January 12, 2023 4:00 PM EST
Dr. James Crowe, Director of the Vaccine Center and Ann Scott Carell Professor of Pediatrics, Pathology, Microbiology & Immunology at Vanderbilt University Medical Center and winner of Research!America’s 2023 Building the Foundation Award, joined us to discuss the significance of public-private partnership in the response to COVID-19 and in achieving fast-paced progress against other deadly and debilitating health threats. Watch the recording.
Date: Tuesday, December 20, 2022 2:30 PM EST
Erik Ewers and Christopher Loren Ewers, co-directors of Hiding in Plain Sight, Youth Mental Illness and winners of Research!America’s 2023 Isadore Rosenfeld Award for Impact on Public Opinion Award joined us for a conversation. Watch the recording.
Date: Wednesday, December 14, 2022 4:00 PM EST
Research!America’s 2023 Gordon and Llura Gund Leadership Award honorees Heywood Fralin, Chairman of Retirement Unlimited, Inc. and Michael J. Friedlander, PhD, Vice President of Health Sciences and Technology at Virginia Tech and Executive Director of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute at VTC joined us for a conversation on the innovative partnership model of the Fralin Biomedical Research Institute and it’s impact on the research ecosystem. Watch the recording.
Date: Tuesday, November 29, 2022 2:30 PM EST
Emily Holubowich, VP of Federal Advocacy at the American Heart Association, joined us to provide an update on the legislative outlook as we approach the end of the 117th Congress. Watch the recording.
Date: Monday, November 21, 2022 2:30 PM EST
In recognition of Public Health Thank You Day, Sarah Despres, Counselor for Public Health and Science at The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, joined us for an off-the-record conversation on all things public health.
