I’m a native Idahoan studying brain diseases. Cuts are endangering vital science | Opinion

It is not often that science research makes the news headlines. But that has changed recently due to several actions taken by the Trump administration that directly target science research.

These include big cuts to “indirect costs” on National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants awarded to researchers in Idaho and all over the country and the firing of over 5,000 workers from Health and Human Services.

These actions endanger discoveries that cure diseases, jeopardize our country’s leadership in science and will have lasting negative impacts on society.

My passion for discovery was sparked by my desire to help others. A native of Boise, I studied at the University of Idaho to pursue this dream. There, I saw first-hand the power of science to help people through understanding diseases. I then completed my PhD and postdoctoral training.

After 18 years of education, I was lucky enough to land the perfect position to help others through research. I serve as an associate professor at Baylor College of Medicine, located in the Texas Medical Center in Houston, Texas.

I am the head of a research lab that studies how the brain becomes susceptible to brain diseases that affect those that we love, including Alzheimer’s disease. Since most of our work is federally funded, it is clear why I care about federal research dollars. But why should everyone else?

One key reason is that science is great for the economy. Federal research dollars provide a substantial boost to Idaho’s bottom line. In 2023, institutes across Idaho brought in $19 million in federal research funding, generating $101 million of economic activity. That means that for every $1 of research funds spent, Idaho gains $4. That is the kind of investment that benefits every Idahoan.

A significant portion of these funds come to the state in the form of indirect costs from the National Institutes of Health and National Science Foundation (NSF).

I will breakdown what these costs mean using a medical analogy. Every time we go to the doctor, the physician can only help patients get better if they are equipped with a place to do the work, technology to help in diagnosis, staff for patient care and utilities to power the whole operation.

Research labs like mine need a similar infrastructure to make life-saving discoveries. We also rely on physical space, support staff, utilities and equipment. Indirect costs cover these needs. When indirect costs are eliminated, research institutions and therefore research itself, will begin to disappear.

Besides limiting life-saving discoveries now, reductions in indirect costs will also halt the pipeline of researchers in training. Because science training takes decades, future discoveries will also be impacted for years to come.

But beyond Idaho’s economy and the careers of thousands of current and aspiring scientists, each of us stands to lose personally when research is targeted.

My father was diagnosed with a severe cancer which was only successfully treated when gene mutations that drove his cancer were identified. Several relatives have suffered from strokes, whose damage was lessened by lifesaving blood thinning agents first developed in research labs like mine many years ago. Without the research of today, we will not have the cures of tomorrow.

This is why the firing of 5,000 workers from Health and Human Services is especially difficult. These so-called probationary workers were new hires brought on for their special expertise and established employees who recently took on new roles or were promoted. These workers were fired for no other reason than their classification, and this directly removed scientists from the lab working at the National Cancer Institute and others.

Job losses extend to those who are responsible for vetting new science ideas and putting federal dollars into the hands of researchers like me. This means that it is difficult for the money that supports life-saving discoveries to make it into the labs doing the work. If not corrected, this will impact the well-being of ourselves and our children for generations.

As a patriot and a native of Idaho, it is clear that science benefits everyone, regardless of politics. We must urge our elected officials to prioritize science funding. Investing in research is investing in a brighter future for our state and our loved ones.