WASHINGTON, D.C. – Yesterday, the U.S. Senate voted to confirm Jay Bhattacharya, MD,PhD, as the new director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
A statement from Lisa Lacasse, president of the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network (ACS CAN), follows:
“The federal government is the largest public funder of cancer research through the National Institutes of Health (NHI) and the National Cancer Institute. With over 2 million new cancer cases expected to be diagnosed, this is a critical time for the NIH to produce scientific discoveries that will continue our progress against cancer and other life-threatening diseases.
“ACS CAN urges the new NIH Director to prioritize an effective, transparent and evidence-based funding infrastructure to ensure continuity in research progress and ongoing U.S. global leadership in the biomedical sciences. Research is essential to improve our ability to prevent, treat and survive cancer and progress will depend on ensuring the agency maintains scientific expertise and sustained resources. We stand ready to work with Director Bhattacharya and the staff at the NIH to support a sustainable and patient-centered ecosystem for lifesaving research, evidence-based initiatives and access to clinical trials to end cancer as we know it for everyone.”