In January 2020, the first case of COVID-19 was reported in Washington state. The days since then have been unprecedented in global history. The medical and research community, including so many of our alliance members, have taken on the incredible challenge of beating back the novel coronavirus, not just on the front lines in hospitals, but in laboratories across the world working to understand the virus to protect public health. Scientific societies and other alliance member organizations are advising policymakers from the White House Task Force to governors to large city mayors. Patient advocacy groups are working to ensure the needs of people with chronic illnesses are forefront and our industry members are launching ambitious efforts to develop and manufacture diagnostics, treatments, and vaccines in record times.

Research!America is responding to the pandemic in a number of ways. Our policy team is laser-focused on advocating for federal funding and policy actions to support our nation’s medical and scientific research enterprise now and in the long run. Working with alliance members, we are urging leaders to ensure federal funding and policy decisions provide the flexibility and resources to assure the research enterprise emerges from the COVID-19 crisis stronger than ever, ready to address future threats.

We have increased the pace of our alliance member calls from monthly to weekly – sometimes twice weekly – so members can directly hear from and ask questions of key decision-makers and experts.  Guest speakers have featured CDC Director Dr. Robert Redfield, Dr. Francis Collins, APHA Executive Director Dr. Georges Benjamin, Global Liver Institute’s Donna Cryer, AAMC President Dr. David Skorton, Rear Admiral Erica Schwartz, and many others.  We held an insight-packed, partner-sponsored webinar to better understand the COVID-19 vaccine and treatment R&D landscape. More of these are in the works.  For a full list of past and upcoming alliance member calls and webinars, visit our website.)

We also launched a webpage of timely, reliable resources and have featured blogs posts on issues such as health disparities related to COVID-19, and the inner workings of diagnostic tests.

This is an opportune time to make sure you are staying connected by subscribing to Mary Woolley’s Weekly Letter, always with policy updates, calls to action, the latest developments, and insights unlike from anywhere else. As always, let us know how we can support you!