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.
On May 11, I was pleased to appear before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies to discuss NIH’s budget request for Fiscal Year 2023. Joining me (left to right) were leaders of several NIH institutes: Nora Volkow, National Institute on Drug Abuse; Tony Fauci, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; Diana Bianchi, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; Doug Lowy, National Cancer Institute; and Gary Gibbons, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute.
On May 26, I testified in person before the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Labor, Health and Human Service (HHS), Education, and Related Agencies. The hearing was titled: National Institutes of Health’s FY22 Budget and the State of Medical Research. Joining me were several NIH institute directors, including Tony Fauci, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID); Diana Bianchi, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; Ned Sharpless, National Cancer Institute; Gary Gibbons, National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; and Eliseo Perez-Stable, National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities.
On December 11, 2019, the Black Maternal Health Caucus hosted a special roundtable to discuss NIH’s efforts to address the rising rates of women, especially African American women, dying in the U. S. from preventable, pregnancy-related complications. The Black Maternal Health Caucus was launched this year to raise awareness within Congress about this important women’s health issue. Before the roundtable, I gathered with some of the participants. Standing next to me (from l-r) are: Diana Bianchi, director of NIH’s Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; Congresswoman Alma Adams of North Carolina, a co-founder of the Caucus; Eliseo Pérez-Stable, director of NIH’s National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities; Congresswoman Lauren Underwood of Illinois, also a co-founder of the Caucus; and Gary Gibbons, director of NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute. The roundtable was held in the Longworth House Office Building, Washington, D.C. Credit: Lauren Underwood’s Office.
The NIH and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Seattle, will invest at least $200 million over the next four years to develop affordable gene-based cures globally for sickle cell disease and HIV infection. The announcement of this timely collaboration was made during a late-morning telebriefing at NIH on October 23, 2019. Here, I met with two of my fellow participants on the call: Gary Gibbons (left), director of NIH’s Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute; and Trevor Mundel, (middle), president of the Gates Foundation’s global health efforts. Also joining the telebriefing remotely by phone were Tony Fauci, director of NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases; and Matishidiso Moeti, director of the World Health Organization’s Regional Office for Africa. Credit: NIH
