This Week in Science Policy and Advocacy
Policy and Advocacy News
Science 'Champion' Dan Lipinski Faces Tough Race in Illinois Primary
March 14, 2018 | Science
Rep. Daniel Lipinski (D-IL-03), a member of the House science committee and strong supporter of scientific interests, is expected to face a tough race in the upcoming Illinois primary. Lipinski is one of the few PhDs in Congress and has been able to find common ground on scientific issues with his Republican colleagues, namely Rep. Lamar Smith (R-TX-21), chairman of the House science committee. Lipinski’s views on research are not playing a large role in the race, rather some critics believe he has deviated too far from the Democratic base.
- Join the Advocacy Network to stay informed about science policy issues at SfN.org
Russian Science Chases Escape From Mediocrity
March 13, 2018 | Nature
At a meeting of the Council for Science and Education last month, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated that science and innovation are top priorities. In 2018, the Russian government earmarked US $3 billion for basic research, a 25 percent increase over the 2017 budget. The increase in funding, in combination with the increase in scientific papers produced in Russia being published, has led some to believe that Russian research is becoming positioned to again be a major player on the world stage.
- Learn about global advocacy programs at SfN.org
Opinion
Don't Shortchange Hope; Invest in Biomedical Research
March 6, 2018 | The Birmingham News
In this op-ed, Lori McMahon, SfN Government and Public Affairs Committee member and Dean of the University of Alabama, Birmingham Graduate School, urges Congress to increase investment in NIH and NSF. Demonstrating the vast potential of federal investment in science, McMahon’s NSF-funded research involves a multidisciplinary collaboration across four universities and seeks to repair brain function lost after injury.
- Read about U.S. advocacy programs at SfN.org
Scientific Breakthroughs Require U.S. Investment
March 11, 2018 | The Baltimore Sun
In this op-ed, Dr. E. Albert Reece, dean of the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and Dr. Paul Rothman, dean of the medical faculty and CEO of Johns Hopkins Medicine, discuss how investments in biomedical research have led to public health advances. The authors state the importance of continued investment in research for the medical field and call on Congress to continue its’ recent trend of funding increases for NIH.
- Learn about U.S. science funding priorities and process at SfN.org
Articles of Interest
Sexual-Minority Students More Likely to Abandon Science Majors
March 14, 2018 | Nature
A recently published study found that students who identify as gay, lesbian, bisexual, and queer (LGBQ) are more likely to leave STEM degrees at higher rates than their heterosexual peers. The study does not explain why LGBQ students leave STEM majors more frequently, but some believe it could be due to marginalization and isolation.
- Engage with SfN’s Diversity Programs at SfN.org
Rethinking How Students With Dyslexia Are Taught To Read
March 11, 2018 | NPR
U.S. public schools are frequently ill prepared to teach students with the learning disability dyslexia. Parents in an Ohio school district fought for dyslexia to be addressed through special education services. The schools implemented new phonics-based approaches to teach reading, improving instruction for all students including those with reading difficulties.
- Read more about dyslexia at BrainFacts.org
Hospitals are Confronting a New Opioid Crisis: an Alarming Shortage of Pain Meds
March 15, 2018 | STAT
A backlash from the opioid epidemic, many hospitals and other healthcare facilities are now experiencing a shortage of pain medications used in surgeries, emergency care, and other treatments. Strict opioid regulations have contributed to the scarcity of injectable pain medications, but legislation is being considered to allow the DEA to easily adjust medication production quotas.
- Watch a Congressional Biomedical Research Caucus briefing about chronic pain treatment at BrainFacts.org
Machine Learning Classifies Cancer
March 14, 2018 | Nature
Brain tumors are typically diagnosed by visual assessment that can be observer biased. Allowing for unbiased recognition of brain tumors, researchers have employed machine learning to identify problematic DNA methylation, modifications that affect gene expression, in pathologist diagnosed samples and apply that criteria to rapidly determine whether tissue is cancerous.
-
Learn more about the next generation of brain tumor research at BrainFacts.org
