I would like to thank the ASPET Washington Fellows for inspiring me.
Like many people, I’ve been feeling a little cynical about politics recently, and discouraged about the current state of the union in the USA.
When the political climate feels dispiriting, the only meaningful response is engagement. That’s exactly what the ASPET Washington Fellows demonstrated on Thursday, February 12, as they fanned out across Capitol Hill and talked with U.S. senators and representatives (or their legislative staff) about the importance of funding biomedical research.
In my role as the current ASPET President, I had the pleasure of joining all these brilliant young ASPET Washington Fellows in their mission. Shown below, from left to right, are Fellows alum Chloe Kirk; Chelsey Murphy, a legislative advisor for Senator Jon Ossoff from Georgia; myself; and current Washington Fellows Rodnie Colón Ortiz and Drew Theobald.
We discussed the recent budget bill, which holds biomedical research funding flat. While that is certainly preferable to a cut, it still fails to keep pace with inflation and will limit our ability to move forward in the fights against cancer, Alzheimer’s, and other diseases now within reach.
Admittedly, a series of 30-minute meetings with government officials on Capitol Hill is not going to change the world overnight. But these meetings do raise the awareness of key government officials about the urgency of supporting biomedical research. And I can tell you it is inspiring to hear the ASPET Washington Fellows eloquently describe their research and speak truth to their government leaders about why increased funding for research is so crucial.
The ASPET Washington Fellows is an incredible program that provides young scientists the opportunity to learn about science advocacy, and then immediately put those lessons to use in promoting biomedical research. I’d like to thank the outstanding organizers of this program, Carter Alleman and Marah Wahbeh, as well as the current group of ASPET Washington Fellows for inspiring me so much on the recent Hill Day with their unbridled enthusiasm and passion for research.
Sincerely,
Randy Hall, PhD
President, ASPET
Randy Hall, PhD
President, ASPET
