If Not Us, Who? If Not Now, When?

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We’ve all heard this quote, attributed to various people, most notably John F. Kennedy. It’s been used in a variety of contexts including other politicians. I even used it when I served on the School Committee in my town.  But it is so appropriate right now to think about this in context of the state of research & development investment in the United States, and in particular, basic cancer research.

I was recently promoted to Cancer Research Evangelist at the National Foundation for Cancer Research, and in this role I will continue to be the voice for the urgency of funding for basic research.  I am determined to keep educating the public about the work being done in laboratories today that will lead to discoveries tomorrow. I've introduced you to many of these researcher on this blog. The U.S. is falling behind on investment in R&D to countries like China.  China’s total expenditure on research and development (R&D) has increased by 23% a year on average over the past decade, and the central government’s expenditure on science and technology is estimated to overtake the U.S. by 2019.  I hope and will continue to advocate for more U.S. government support of basic cancer research.  Vice President Joe Biden’s Moonshot Initiative is a positive step forward. 

But more importantly, I will continue advocating for more philanthropic support of basic cancer research. The type of seed funding that NFCR has been providing for 43 years. Putting money directly into the laboratory, allowing scientists the freedom and flexibility to experiment on new ideas that can lead to the next big breakthroughs. There are so many people and institutions that have achieved great success in our country who have resources necessary to fill the gap in government funding. People like Oracle Founder Larry Ellison, who recently pledged $200 million to USC to fund a cancer research center. Thank you for this gift. #gratitude 

I recently had lunch with a brilliant researcher in Boston who told me that a gift of $100,000 can support a young researcher on his team and the reagents necessary to do experiments for one year. Think of the impact of $200 million? So, “if not us, who?” Other countries like China. “If not now, when?” We will see the impact 20 years from now if we don’t continue to make these investments now. 
#CancerResearchEvangelist


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