My focus throughout my career and the factors that have driven my career path in academic medicine largely have focused on what might have the greatest benefit for all. This led me to a career in biomedical research that has been greatly rewarding. 

When I transitioned from the Deanship after 16 fulfilling years, I took a year-long sabbatical/assignment as scholar-in-residence at the National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and proposed to do a project which would investigate the current state of the US biomedical research enterprise and how well positioned we are relative to our global competitors and future health and economic challenges. This was approved and so we invited a national team of NAM members to form a study committee. We used publicly available data to examine inputs and outputs to and from the enterprise, including funding, investment, disease trends, and national health outcomes. We also interviewed experts in government, foundations, and private sector venture capital. The insights we obtained helped us interpret our analyses of the data spanning the last few decades.  

We found that overall, the US biomedical research enterprise has greatly improved human health. However, due to changes in society, health, disease, and other factors, the gains we have seen are either being eroded or in some cases, have never benefited everyone everywhere.  

We know that federal funding of biomedical research has been extraordinary and must continue. However, the enterprise has grown and expanded such that federal funding alone cannot sustain the trajectory for the future. 

You are part of our knowledge capital, our research workforce, which is a national treasure. The biomedical research enterprise needs you to continue to discover and innovate to address and solve the many looming health challenges we face as a nation. We know that to keep you engaged and working toward a healthier America, we must find new funding mechanisms and modernize the path to career independence so you can focus on what you do best. 

My sabbatical/assignment has ended, and the findings from that study will be published this week by the National Academies Press. I want to thank my colleagues Audrey Huang, Shannon Takala-Harrison, and Freda Richards here at UMSOM who contributed to and helped bring this project to the finish line. I invite all of you to read the report. I will continue to work on behalf of the future of biomedical research.  

Thank you for all that you do. 

Sincerely,