Research Saves Lives, Research Improves Lives

Today is the “March for Science”.  Around the world people who do science, who support science and who appreciate the role of science in our lives will be gathering. They will be asking leaders of all parties to support policies that encourage continued investment in all branches of science, in science education and in rational policies related to the application of new scientific advances.

Rather than joining these gatherings, I thought I would use this moment to capture some personal and professional reflections on the role of science and how we can take steps to strengthen support for science. I firmly believe that Research Saves Lives and that Research Improves Lives.

Research Saves Lives

• Science feeds the engine of progress.  The Google data graph above that shows the change in average life expectancy in the US between 1960 (69.8 yrs) and 2014 (79.8).  During this span we have seen the eradication of small pox, the dramatic reduction of mortality due to pediatric leukemia, life-saving surgeries, transplants and a plethora of new medications that help manage diseases that were previously 100% fatal, like HIV.
• Research in genomics is bringing answers and sometimes treatment options to people with extraordinarily complex conditions.  See my review of “One in a billion” for one example.
• For those of you in regions affected by tornadoes and other severe weather events, have you noticed that TV weather people can show the areas at most risk down to the neighborhood level? This is thanks to research in meteorology and climate science.  This capability saves lives.
• New technologies enabled by research in computer science, physics and materials science have helped to make transportation safer.
• While there is significant room for continued improvement and valid concerns about environmental impact, advances in plant and animal science have contributed to improved agricultural productivity.

Research Improves Lives

• Look at the device that you are using to read this.  Advances in physics, chemistry, materials science, electrical engineering and other fields were critical to the development of ever smaller and more powerful mobile devices, computers and the technology that surrounds us.
• Many chronic diseases are managed better through a large number of new medications. All of these were developed after years of biological, chemical and clinical research.
• Look around you. Most likely you are surrounded by technologies that you enjoy and that have contributed to
  improving your quality of life.  Digital cameras, high-tech special effects in movies, energy efficient furnaces, smart watches, smart phones. Every new technology is based on advances in basic research.
• Look around the grocery store.  Are there fruits and vegetables from around the world? Technology based on research, whether chemistry or supply chains, played a role in bringing more tasty options to the grocery store. Do you enjoy organic food? Do you need gluten or other allergen free food? New models of distribution, food preparation, packaging and other advances make it possible for many of us to find and enjoy so many more food options than 20 years ago.
• Vaccines have contributed to reducing the burden of many communicable diseases. Yes, they can have rare adverse events and yes, they don’t always work, but have helped to change the health of society for the better.

These are just partial lists. Despite the contributions of science and research to saving and improving lives, there are major concerns about significant changes pending for federal funding of basic and applied research. Science and math education in the U.S. lags behind most other developed countries, creating a competitive risk for our future workforce and an electorate with less awareness of science. Misinformation about science is growing rapidly. The negative aspects of technology are often more visible than the benefits.

What next?

• We who work in science have often done a poor job of clearly explaining the value of our work to the public. We use confusing language, we’re very proud of our training and credentials and sometimes we are wrong. While many would like to continue to emphasize the purity of science (discovery for the sake of discovery), we need to do a better job of articulating the near and long term benefits of our work. And we need to continue to focus on the quality of science to reduce retractions and reversals that contribute to public confusion and mistrust.
• Scientists need to engage with the public in ways that transcend marches and demonstrations. We need to meet with high school students, churches, other faith organizations and community groups and explain our work in terms that are accessible and meaningful. We especially need to engage in dialogue with the groups that are most vocally opposed to certain scientific endeavors. These discussions should be quiet, small group interactions that build trust and understanding.
• We need to acknowledge that science is not a perfect process and that not all of the applications of science are positive. Support for research needs to be complemented by support for work in ethics and public policy. Organizations like the Center for Practical Bioethics offer a crucial perspective on the complex considerations around new advances in healthcare. Appropriate regulation of emerging technologies like synthetic life is important and necessary.
• We need constructive dialogue with elected officials in settings other than contentious town halls. Instead of talking at them, we need to understand the pressures they feel from their constituencies and brainstorm win-win solutions. A growing number of scientists are running for office, a positive movement. These candidates need to convey that scientists are answer-seekers and problem solvers and that we are just as concerned about jobs, educations, security and family as everybody else.
• While there have been amazing advances in medicine, there is still so much more that we don’t know. Despite impressive advances, cancer and heart disease continue to claim many lives. Mental health issues are increasingly recognized as prevalent and having major impact on all aspects of society. We need to make major investments in brain and behavioral research. Some diseases are actually increasing, including asthma and diabetes. If research slows down in these areas, we will continue to see a high human cost.
• Happy, healthy children become happy, healthy adults. Serious diseases and mortality of children have wide ranging impact. We need to continue to invest in pediatrics and behavioral and mental health issues specific to youth as these investments have lasting impact (full disclosure – I work for a pediatric organization).
• We need to position research in terms that resonate in the current policy climate.  For example, there is strong focus on healthcare costs. The least expensive way to treat a disease is to prevent it, the second is to identify it sooner. Research in prevention, early detection and predictive algorithms should all articulated in terms of cost savings and positive health impact.
• Investments in public health pay off in multiples beyond the initial cost. Emerging diseases like Zika and Ebola require agility and high tempo research. Failure to understand these unexpected and dynamic threats could have devastating national and global impact. Zika vaccine research can help prevent the challenges faced by families who learn that they will have a child with a small brain (microcephaly). Research into the care for this growing population of children is equally important.
• We should not assume that the private sector will always pick up funding when public funding drops. Many devastating rare diseases have dramatic effects on a small number of people. The pharmaceutical industry is primarily interested in working on disease conditions in which there is a large market, so orphan and rare diseases are unlikely to be a high priority for the private sector. High risk, high reward research in the physical sciences, the life sciences, materials sciences and other areas are often beyond the short market-driven time scales of industry sponsored research (with some exceptions, like SpaceX).
• As we continue to improve medicine and extend our life span, we will face new issues that will require new research. Conditions related to aging – dementia, arthritis, osteoporosis etc. – will become more prevalent and will require new investments to ensure that a longer life is also a better life.
• Research into climate change can save lives.  Climate instability is associated with changes in human health, disease patterns (Zika) and with weather systems that are increasingly unpredictable, destructive and deadly. As sea levels rise, we will see unprecedented humanitarian crises in coastal areas that will affect all of us. Research into the mechanisms of climate change should not be about placing blame. Rather, it is about saving lives and identifying solutions.
• Continued research in plant and animal sciences can improve lives in the U.S. and the developing world by offering lower cost food options, drought resistant plants to starvation affected areas in Africa, sustainable food options with lower environmental impact, new flavors and foods with lower allergen risks.

If you ask people whether they would prefer to live in the future of Star Trek or the Matrix, I bet most would choose Star Trek. The only way to get there is through continued investment in research and science. Louis Pasteur once said, “There are science and the applications of science, bound together as the fruit of the tree which bears it.” Most of us who participate in the scientific process believe that we are making a difference but we need widespread public awareness, energy and enthusiasm every day to continue supporting positive progress.