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Dirksen Senate Office Building

Testifying Before Senate

Posted on by Lawrence Tabak, D.D.S., Ph.D.

Dr. Tabak seated at table speaking and gesturing
On May 4, I testified on Capitol Hill regarding the President’s FY 2024 Funding Request and Budget Justification for NIH. My testimony was delivered before the U.S. Senate Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies. Also testifying were several other member of the NIH leadership. They included Doug Lowy, principal deputy director, National Cancer Institute; Josh Gordon, director, National Institute of Mental Health; Richard Hodes, director, National Institute on Aging; Nora Volkow, director, National Institute on Drug Abuse. The hearing took place at the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. Credit: NIH

Testifying in the Senate for Next Year’s NIH Budget

Posted on by Lawrence Tabak, D.D.S., Ph.D.

Lawrence Tabak, DDS, PhD, Acting Director NIH
It was an honor to testify on the President’s FY 2023 NIH budget before the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Committee. Also testifying from NIH were five institute directors: Richard Hodes, National Institute on Aging; Nora Volkow, National Institute on Drug Abuse; Gary Gibbons, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; Tony Fauci, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; and Josh Gordon, National Institute of Mental Health. The hearing took place on May 17, 2022 in the Dirksen Senate Office Building in Washington, D.C.

Senate Hearing on Vaccines

Posted on by Dr. Francis Collins

Senate Hearing
As always, it was an honor to testify before the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pension. The title of the hearing was “Vaccines: Saving Lives, Ensuring Confidence, and Protecting Public Health.” Also testifying was Jerome Adams, Surgeon General of the United States. The hearing was held on September 9, 2020 in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C.

Testifying in Congress During a Pandemic

Posted on by Dr. Francis Collins

I testified before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions as part of a hearing titled “Shark Tank: New Tests for COVID-19.” Also testifying was Gary Disbrow (left), Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Responses, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. We started the hearing wearing masks. But due to some technical difficulties with the sound system, we removed them to elevate our voices, while maintaining good physical distancing. I then presented some of the inspiring efforts now underway to combat the novel coronavirus. That includes the recently launched Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) Initiative and its national technology development competition to increase our nation’s testing capacity. This “shark tank”-like competition is now encouraging science and engineering’s most inventive minds to develop rapid, easy-to-use technologies to test for the presence of SARS-CoV-2. The hearing was held on May 7, 2020 in the Dirksen Senate Office Building, Washington, D.C. Credit: United States Senate


Speaking at Reception to Celebrate Medical Research

Posted on by Dr. Francis Collins

Francis Collins speaking from podium

I enjoyed speaking at the reception for the 6th Annual Rally for Medical Research Hill Day in Washington, D.C. on September 12. The early evening reception, hosted by the American Association for Cancer Research and supported by the nearly 350 partnering organizations, brought together hundreds of people to celebrate the value of medical research. The reception took place in the Dirksen Senate Office Building. Credit: Vera LaMarche