LETTER: Don’t feel sorry for UNLV professor who lost grants

In his May 3 letter, UNLV Associate Professor Jason Flatt laments the loss of more than $4 million in federal grants to pursue his important Alzheimer’s research, as well as the cancellation of another 700 NIH grants, many of which funded the study of Alzheimer’s, HIV/AIDS and cancer in marginalized populations.

Mr. Flatt’s research seems to have been focused on studying Alzheimer’s risks among veterans, underrepresented populations and the LGBTQIA+ community, as those risks are compounded by PTSD, brain injuries and discrimination.

He does not imply or suggest that his research or that of the nearly 700 grants have any focus on finding a cure for Alzheimer’s. Rather, he wants to shine a light on these populations and how their health outcomes have been overlooked.

Let’s consider that these grants had been placed on a ballot for voter approval. Does anyone possibly think that a majority of voters would approve this spending of tax dollars for Mr. Flatt’s research rather than for seeking a cure to Alzheimer’s or other pressing governmental and societal problems?

I am sorry that Mr. Flatt and members of the team he built over the past decade may lose their comfortable government-funded jobs, but I am sure that there are many productive jobs available that contribute to the economy. There are many shortages in construction, manufacturing and service industries, for example.

This makes me wonder and worry about how many millionaires we taxpayers have created through these grants to academic researchers, nonprofits and non-governmental organizations that provide absolutely no tangible benefit to the ordinary American. Ten years of this grant could be $40 million, after all. It sounds like this cost-cutting measure may be 10 years overdue.