LETTER: American scientific leadership is at risk

I’m a Chaparral High School graduate who now leads a genetics lab at the University of Iowa. We use patterns in DNA to figure out which medicines work best for different minds and bodies, personalizing treatments so patients get relief on the first try instead of struggling through months of trial and error.

I’m writing to thank you for your investment in my lab’s research. Every year, you contribute about two-tenths of a penny from your federal taxes to fund our work. That money isn’t just handed out: I had to compete and win against thousands of scientists nationwide. We use those pooled resources to pay graduate students, collect genetic data and develop the tools that help doctors match treatments to patients.

Las Vegas taught me that when you pool resources and play smart, you can achieve the impossible. That same spirit built America into the nation that sent us to the moon. We combined our national will, our sharpest minds and our collective investment to beat impossible odds. And together, we can do it again.

But some people won’t admit that our shared investment in science works. Even though we all know it’s crazy to fold a winning hand, the cuts you’ve heard about are real, and they’re an unforced error. Every dollar invested in U.S. health science generates $2.56 in economic activity: construction, manufacturing, logistics, the list goes on. But these financial returns are nothing compared to the real reason Americans invest in science: to heal, to find out, to give hope.

You might not have thought of yourself as part of the American scientific enterprise, but we all are. Congress is deciding whether to keep this partnership strong or to let other countries take the lead. Call your representative and senators. Tell them: “I’m all in: Put our shared resources to work on American science.”