Dear Research Advocate: I am especially pleased to report that the House passed the Labor-H/Defense FY19 appropriations conference report yesterday, by a vote of 361-61. The President has said he will sign the bill, thus avoiding a partial government shutdown with its myriad negative consequences (including the toll on medical and public health progress). Please do as we have and say thank you to Congressional leadership for passing this bill in timely fashion, with funding that supports putting research to work to find the solutions to what ails us. Of particular note, the bill includes a $2 billion increase for NIH, as well as increases for other federal health agencies under HHS auspices...

September is Healthy Aging Month, and here at the Buck Institute for Research on Aging , we are on a mission to end the threat of age-related disease for this and future generations. We believe it is possible for people to enjoy healthy lives at age 95 as much as they do at 25, and to achieve that, we’re seeking a more comprehensive understanding of the biology of aging itself. Over the last century, average human lifespan has been increasing at a rate of approximately 2 years per decade, primarily due to advancements in antibiotics and other medical treatments, as well as improved public health efforts. The U.S. Census Bureau estimates that by 2035, people over the age of 65 will outnumber...

Aging well is more than simply celebrating more birthdays. To most of us, aging well means living more years in good health and well-being. The Alliance for Aging Research is a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people live longer, healthier lives. We at the Alliance recognize that an essential part of healthy aging is prevention. Vaccines are an easy way to prevent serious infectious diseases that lead to thousands of hospitalizations and deaths each year, and cause millions of people to lose time with families, at work, and tending to other important responsibilities. Vaccines have also saved millions of lives. Americans seem to realize the value of vaccines to community health...

Dear Research Advocate: Research!America’s annual health research forum, “Straight Talk,” will kick off tomorrow, Thursday, September 6, at 10:15 AM EST at the Newseum in Washington, DC. I am sending this week’s letter a day early to ensure that you have the link to the livestream, since we are at full capacity in the room. Featuring HHS Secretary Alex Azar II and a host of other national leaders in the research and public health arenas, the goal of the forum is to foster candid discussion and seed new thinking around topics that are front and center in research and innovation. Be sure to listen in! The House returned from August recess yesterday and opted to “fast-track” the Labor-H/...