Members of the Columbia community joined hundreds of physicians, scientists, and patients to meet legislators on Capitol Hill and advocate for medical research at the annual Rally for Medical Research on Sept. 17.
This year's rally brought together over 300 participants from more than 40 states, the second largest rally since the event began in 2013 in response to threatened cuts to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) budget.
"Educating policy makers about the role NIH-funded research plays in medical innovation and finding cures for disease is vital in maintaining a robust NIH budget," says Ross Frommer, vice president of government affairs at CUIMC, who helped organize the Columbia contingent along with Jatin Vyas, associate dean for academic innovation at the Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons (VP&S).
"When scientists take the time to explain to members of Congress and their staff how their research has affected the lives of everyday Americans, their advocacy clearly works," Frommer adds. "Last year, researchers from across the country came together to fight the proposed 40% NIH budget cut in the president's original request. Not only were we able to stave them off, but the NIH budget for this year also increased by 1%."
The Columbia delegation (not all pictured) included: Melanie Aguero, graduate student, School of Social Work; Sarah Borden, clinical research coordinator, Department of Medicine; Chinacherem Chinaka, graduate student, School of Nursing; Charles Emala, the Henrik H. Bendixen Professor of Anesthesiology; Anthony Ferrante, the Tilden-Weger-Bieler Professor of Preventative Medicine; Ross Frommer; Guy Garty, associate professor of radiation oncology; Rachel Geltman, staff associate, Department of Pediatrics; Thomas Murphy, graduate student, Integrated Program in Cellular, Molecular and Biomedical Studies; Maimouna Ndiaye, senior manager, Department of Surgery; Simon Ogundare, MD/PhD student and University senator, VP&S; Meredith Ramba, staff associate, Department of Pediatrics; Nathan Robb, associate vice president of government and community affairs, Columbia University; Kennedy Stacy, graduate student, Integrated Program in Cellular, Molecular and Biomedical Studies; and Isabella Trezza.
For the 2027 federal fiscal year, the President's budget request calls for a 12% cut to NIH funding. "If you believe NIH funding is good for our country, researchers and patients must continue to stress the importance of biomedical research and advocate for its financial support," Frommer says.
On Capitol Hill, the Columbia contingent of 15 students, faculty, and staff from VP&S, School of Nursing, Teachers College, and School of Social Work was the largest from any organization at the rally. They met with staff of the New York and New Jersey Congressional delegations to stress the importance of NIH funding.
"Attending the Rally for Medical Research was an incredibly meaningful experience for me," says Isabella Trezza, a student at Teachers College and a cognitive neuroscientist in the Department of Pediatrics. "Being able to advocate for research I care so deeply about and speak directly with policymakers reminded me why I chose to be part of the research community."
At a reception the night before, several members of the Columbia delegation also had the opportunity to chat directly with NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya. Anthony Ferrante, co-director of the Naomi Berrie Diabetes Center, expressed his strong belief that NIH funding decisions should continue to be based on merit and driven by the assessment of scientists.
