April 2016

This week, members of the ATS Research Advocacy Committee, chaired by Linda Nici, MD, and the Public Advisory Roundtable (PAR) came to Washington, DC to advocate for increased health research funding with members of Congress. Committee members traveled from Alabama, Arizona, California, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Tennessee to meet with more than 28 Senate and House officers including personal meetings with Sen. Jack Reed (D-RI) and Representative David Cicilline (D-RI).

The committee came to Washington, DC, to call for increased funding for the National Institutes of Health, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, including the asthma, tuberculosis and National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health programs, and the Veterans Administration Research program. Additionally, ATS members called for passage of legislation to help veterans exposed to burn pits and support young researchers.

RAC members participating in the Hill Day included Linda Nici, MD, Veena Antony, MD, Safwan Badr, MD, James Brown, MD, Stephanie Davis, MD, Lynn Gerald, MD, Aaron Hamvas, MD, Jay Kolls, MD and Janet Lee, MD, Health Policy Committee member Sharron Crowder, PhD, and PAR members Teresa Barnes, Cary Sennett and Kari Rosbeck joined the Research Advocacy Committee.

Left to right Veena Antony, M.D., Rep. David Cicilline (D-RI)
and Research Advocacy Committee Chair Linda Nici, M.D.