It may not surprise you that the mysterious three-pound mass of tissue found in our heads is the least understood of all the human organs. At the same time, what the global brain research community is discovering about the brain is nothing short of astonishing, and we are poised to make discoveries that will help us one day better understand and treat hundreds of debilitating diseases. Building on strong support in Washington over the last two years, America has the power to keep this momentum going.
In a time of great disagreement, Congress took strong bipartisan action at the end of 2015 to infuse the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with an additional $2 billion to support research, the largest increase in more than a decade. This funding boost halted a downward trend in research funding and is a crucial step toward making up for the enduring effects of years of chronic underfunding.
Earlier this summer, a bipartisan group of policymakers again demonstrated sustained support for the importance of scientific discovery when the Senate Appropriations Committee approved a bill that would increase the FY17 NIH budget by $2 billion to $34 billion. Last week, the House Appropriations Committee passed its bill, though less robust, to expand funding for NIH in the next fiscal year. The public greatly needs investment in biomedical research to continue, and we urge both chambers to come together to ensure that investment in NIH advances.
Investments made through agencies such as the NIH and National Science Foundation (NSF) drive knowledge and fuel innovation in the neuroscience community. Neuroscience, the study of the brain and nervous system, needs consistent and predictable public funding of basic research to unlock the brain’s complex secrets and advance medical progress that ultimately will lead to a better human condition. By its nature, basic science is curiosity-driven, has unpredictable outcomes and ultimately lays the foundation for every new medicine that appears on the shelves of our local pharmacies.
NIH and NSF investments in basic neuroscience research have had - and continue to have - widespread impact on our nation, society and on all of us as individuals. The U.S. has long been a leader in biomedical research.
That leadership not only improves and saves millions of lives worldwide, but also generates significant domestic economic activity and spurs scientific innovation.
Neurological illnesses and mental disorders affect an estimated 1 billion people throughout the world and cost the U.S. more than $760 billion a year. More than 44 million people suffer from Alzheimer’s disease worldwide, and that number is expected to increase dramatically in coming decades. Public funding of long-term research is the proven path that will translate into treatments and cures for myriad neurological and psychological disorders that afflict millions of American families.
There’s hope. New discoveries in physics, chemistry, biology and engineering are powering the latest revolution in brain research. …
With sustained support, future discoveries in neuroscience will transform our understanding of the brain - and help us race to solve long-term problems like autism, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and mental illness.
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