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National Health Research Forum

Graphic reading “National Health Research Forum 2026: Investing in Innovation,” with an upward arrow and bar graph illustrating growth and investment.

The 2026 National Health Research Forum took place on Wednesday, September 23, 2026.

For more than 30 years, Research!America has held an annual National Health Research Forum that gathers top federal officials, leaders from academia, patient advocacy, industry, and the philanthropic community, and distinguished national media to take an unvarnished look at issues vital to the wellbeing of our nation, our economy, and patients across the globe.

Event Details

This year’s program unveiled our report, “U.S. Investments in Medical and Health Research and Development 2021-2025.” The report provided new insights into medical and health R&D investment by sector across the United States. The Forum also featured an early-career researcher poster session spotlighting Research!America’s microgrant and civic engagement projects and interactive discussions on topics central to the future of science and medical progress. You can view our recorded sessions, agenda, and speakers below and see photos here.

Agenda

See the full agenda and learn more about our 2026 speakers.

8:30 a.m. — Opening Breakfast & Poster Session

9:15 a.m. — Welcome & Introductory Remarks

9:25 a.m. — Federal Remarks

  • Matthew Memoli, MD, MS, Principal Deputy Director, National Institutes of Health (NIH)
  • Rafid Fadul, MD, MBA, Assuming some duties of Deputy Director, Chief Medical Officer, Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H)

10:05 a.m. — Investment Report Debut

From Dollars to Discoveries: U.S. Investments in Medical and Health Research and Development 2021-2025

  • Russ Paulsen, President & CEO, Research!America

10:30 a.m. — Panel Discussion

Securing the Frontier: Safeguarding America’s Leadership in Global R&D and Clinical Innovation

  • Moderator: Jenny Luray, Senior Vice President of Strategy and Public Engagement, Research!America
  • Amy Comstock Rick, JD, Director, Rare Disease Innovation Hub, FDA
  • Caitlin Grzeskowiak, PhD, Chief Research and Innovation Officer, Epilepsy Foundation
  • Alina Meltaus, Chief of Staff, National Security Commission on Emerging Biotechnology
  • Raj Panjabi, Senior Partner, MD, Flagship Pioneering

Support the Event

Thank you to the sponsors of the 2026 National Health Research Forum!

For information about future sponsorship opportunities for the National Health Research Forum, please visit this page or contact Kristen Furlong, Senior Director of Development and Membership at 571-482-2703 or at [email protected].

Past Forums

To view the event details for our past National Health Research Forums, please select the link for the year indicated.

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