In September, I went on a whirlwind trip to Washington DC. I spent a day and a half in
my nation's capitol, to visit Congressional offices and talk about
the importance medical research. Almost 300 people were part of the
Rally for Medical Research, all with the same message: Now is the
time for Congress to come together and support the NIH with continued
funding for medical research. We had training on how to deliver our
message, and a reception with talks by Dr. Francis Collins and
Senator Dick Durbin before being unleashed on Capitol Hill to attend
our meetings. AAAS was kind enough to facilitate my involvement with
this opportunity.
Thirty-six hours in
DC, meetings in seven different offices, could that possibly make a
difference? I've been asked many times since returning: Did you make
a difference? As a graduate student, I have many, possibly naive
ideas about making an impact and changing the world. I want help
people live better, healthier lives, and leave the world in better
shape than I found it. This might be through my own disease-curing
research, or it might be by convincing one more member of Congress to
sign a bill that supports NIH funding, thereby helping others with
their own research.
As a researcher, I
think about disease in a very specific way. I think about it
mechanistically. I ponder why a mutation in one gene can throw off an
entire system. I want to know how and why this happens. Patients with
various medical problems also attended the Rally for Medical
Research. They think about diseases differently. Patients and their
families have to live with a disease. Interacting with someone who
has survived a severe brain tumor pulls the science out of the Petri
dish and puts it into a person. Interacting with patients and
survivors is a stark reminder of the ultimate goal of medical
research – to help people. These patients, along with patient
advocates, and other researchers were part of our group that spent
the day talking to members of Congress about how continued NIH
funding is needed.
But can one day of
conversations change anything? We spoke with the decision-makers who
seem far away, but who directly impact our lives. Our government is
made up of individuals, making individual decisions. As a voter, it
is my right and my responsibility to let them know which decisions
are important to me. One conversation may not change anyone's mind.
However, each conversation is part of a larger movement. A small,
steady voice can have as much impact as a single loud one. I view
this trip as part of a continuing message, and not a single event.
This is why advocacy
is important. Legislators have to take into account the views of many
constituents. If one group don't speak up about an issue that
matters to them, a different group will. The onus is on the voter to
let their views be known. Washington DC is a fast-paced town, and
issues can quickly be forgotten. We need to remind Congress which
issues matter to us.
So did a day make a
difference? It did for me, and I hope it does for the future of
funding for medical research.
