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Research!America is dedicated to ensuring a strong public and private sector investment in research to improve health at a level warranted by scientific opportunity and supported by public opinion. Member organizations and others share their perspectives on a wide variety of topics relating to public and private sector research and innovation, and public health. The views expressed by contributors are their own and not the view of Research!America.

Recent Blog Posts

Mary Woolley's Weekly Letter: Leadership, Stewardship, Bipartisanship

By Mary Woolley on July 29, 2021
Dear Research Advocate, On the Hill: The odds are increasing that members of the Senate will come together again, as they did with several COVID-19 supplemental spending packages, to pass a bipartisan infrastructure bill. It is anticipated the House will follow suit. This is meaningful beyond the clear need to address gaps and frailties in our nation’s infrastructure; it reinforces a too rarely demonstrated truth: if members of Congress are convinced a need is compelling enough, they find a path forward. COVID-19 has taken more than 4.19 million lives worldwide. According to the WHO, each year, more than 15 million people between the ages of 30 and 69 die from a non-communicable disease...
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Honoring our Interns

By Research!America on July 29, 2021
Today is National Intern Day. It’s a chance to spotlight our interns and fellows and celebrate their tremendous contributions to Research!America. Interns are an essential part of our team, helping us stay fresh, stay challenged, stay innovative. We are continually impressed and inspired by their passion, intelligence, and curiosity. Over the years, Research!America has welcomed more than 130 science policy and science communication interns. It’s impossible to measure the value they’ve added to our work, or all the outcomes improved and accelerated through their involvement. We also extend our tremendous thanks to the Burroughs Wellcome Fund for its long-standing support of the Research!...
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Three Ways to Advocate for Black Maternal Health

By Leah Franklin on July 27, 2021
This piece reflects the opinions of the author. Black women who give birth in the U.S. are three times more likely to die during delivery than white women and more than twice as likely to have birth complications. Most of these deaths are preventable. Outcome disparities persist regardless of socioeconomic background or education level. In 2019, the maternal mortality was 44 per 100,000 births for Black individuals compared to only 18 per 100,000 births for white individuals. Our factsheet on maternal health provides additional information on the status of and challenges to addressing disparities in Black maternal health and infant mortality. However, with the support of allies and...
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A Special Conversation: Dr. Tony Fauci and Oprah Winfrey

By Research!America on July 23, 2021
“What did we learn from the rapid spread of this pandemic that will better equip us for the future?” asked Oprah Winfrey to begin a conversation with Dr. Tony Fauci, Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, at Research!America’s 2021 Virtual Advocacy Awards. Dr. Fauci was the recipient of the Outstanding Achievement in Public Health Award. “We have lived through history, you and I,” Dr. Fauci responded, “and what we're learning is you've got to be prepared — really serious preparation — at the global health level and at the scientific level.” The segment opened with an introduction from Research!America Board Member Guillermo Prado, PhD, Vice Provost for...
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Mary Woolley's Weekly Letter: Nudging the Nudge-able

By Mary Woolley on July 22, 2021
Dear Research Advocate, For the first time since 1975, the Gallup poll has asked respondents about their confidence in science as an institution. Although confidence in science is down from 70% to 64% since 1975, science remains one of our country’s most trusted institutions, behind only small businesses and the military. (Gallup’s findings are in line with results from our own commissioned survey earlier this year.) A breakdown by political affiliation showed a large gap between parties. It’s worth noting that in 1975, Republicans, Democrats and independents all showed similarly strong confidence (~70%) in science. Working towards confidence in science as part of our national identity is...
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Clear Voice Award Recipients Discuss Public Health Communication

By Research!America on July 16, 2021
Communication throughout the pandemic has been critical and Clear Voice Award co-recipients Anne Schuchat, MD , and Michelle Williams, ScD , have been at the forefront. “Communication has never been more important than this past year. And it's never been more difficult,” Dr. Schuchat. For the Research!America 2021 Virtual Advocacy Awards, Clear Voice Award introductions were made by Research!America Board Member Kafui Dzirasa, MD, PhD , Associate Professor at Duke University Medical Center. The recipients were joined by Seema Kumar , Global Head, Office of Innovation, Global Health and Scientific Engagement, Johnson & Johnson, for a conversation about science communication in a public...
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Mary Woolley's Weekly Letter: Misinformation is Deadly

By Mary Woolley on July 15, 2021
Dear Research Advocate, Today, a Surgeon General’s Advisory was released on “ Confronting Health Misinformation ,” directing every American’s attention to the harm misinformation causes to individual and public health. Research!America applauds Surgeon General Murthy for calling on the nation to work together in a “whole of society” push to confront and build resilience against health misinformation. Relevant to the nation’s efforts to combat misinformation, Jen Easterly was sworn in on Tuesday as director of the Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), after unanimous approval by the Senate. CISA houses a robust resource library to help...
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Building the Foundation Through mRNA Research

By Research!America on July 9, 2021
The Research!America 2021 Virtual Advocacy Awards program featured a discussion with the co-recipients of the 2021 Building the Foundation Award: Katalin Karikó, PhD , of BioNTech and Drew Weissman, MD, PhD , of the University of Pennsylvania. Pfizer’s Mikael Dolsten, MD, PhD , introduced the recipients, then Research!America Board Member Victor Dzau, MD , President of the National Academy of Medicine, kicked off a discussion with the two collaborators whose work led to the use of messenger RNA (mRNA) in the development of key COVID-19 vaccines. Dr. Dzau expressed his sincere appreciation: “You know, your research is remarkable, it really changed the world and saved millions of lives. And I...
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Mary Woolley's Weekly Letter: Start by Asking

By Mary Woolley on July 8, 2021
Dear Research Advocate, We are at an inflection point in the pandemic; many people are asking, “Life seems to be getting back to ‘normal’ — are we almost to the finish line?” One response is that we must do more globally, a reality made all the more urgent by viral mutations such as the Delta variant. (Read and share our latest blog post , a pithy overview of the science behind viral variants and stopping their spread. “The longer a virus continues to circulate unchecked, the greater the likelihood that a mutation will produce a more effective disguise — one less like a fake moustache and more like a ski mask.”) The investigation into the origin of SARS-CoV-2 has become quite controversial...
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Variants Explained: The Case for Vaccinating the World

By Jessica Scott, PhD on July 7, 2021
Americans across much of the U.S. might feel as if they are finally waking from a bad dream. COVID-19 cases are at their lowest levels since March 2020, vaccines are widely available, workplaces are reopening, social life has resumed, and domestic travel neared an all-time high over the July 4 holiday weekend. This “return to normal” is far from the case in many areas: countries from India to the United Kingdom to Argentina have experienced recent spikes in COVID-19 cases, with sometimes devastating results. First in India and then in the U.K., spikes in infection rates resulting in new lockdown restrictions were driven by the Delta variant – a mutation of the original SARS-CoV-2 virus. The...
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The capabilities are enormous, a little bit of research can pay off quite a bit in the long run.
Paul D’ Addario, retinitis pigmentosa patient