NIH funding drives life-saving innovation and economic impact in Wisconsin. University, biomedical and industry leaders issue call to protect it.

The University of Wisconsin–Madison and Universities of Wisconsin, along with industry, university, hospital and health system partners, are urging Wisconsin’s Congressional leaders to protect funding for the National Institutes for Health (NIH), which drives groundbreaking research, life-saving treatments and economic growth in the state.

In a letter sent this week, 34 bio-health companies, health systems, industry associations and research organizations urged Congress to maintain robust NIH funding and oppose significant cuts that jeopardize the critical work the federal agency supports.

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Universities of Wisconsin President Jay Rothman and other representatives of the group spoke at a news conference at the UW School of Medicine and Public Health on Thursday, March 6, to reinforce the importance of NIH funding in maintaining a strong bio-health ecosystem in the state and the direct effect federally funded research has on advancing life-saving care for diseases such as Alzheimer’s.

“Indiscriminate reductions in research funding like those we’re facing right now pose significant risk to our state and nation’s future,” said UW–Madison Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin. “These cuts harm our ability to make critical, life-saving discoveries and to train our students to be global leaders. They will also damage our nation’s innovation economy and our international competitiveness.”

NIH’s critical role in Wisconsin’s bio-health ecosystem

Employing more than 141,000 people statewide, Wisconsin’s bio-health industry boasts a $37.7 billion economic impact in the state. The technological and health advancements and knowledge that fuel the industry are closely connected to federally supported research.

“These funds from NIH don’t just drive research, they attract biotech companies, venture capital, top scientists and talent. They drive manufacturing, services and more,” said Nicolas Paris, CEO of Gilson, Inc., a bio-health analytic instrument manufacturer, who spoke during the event. “Cutting federal research funding, particularly NIH grants, would severely impact not only our ability to innovate but also our ability to improve lives and grow our economy.”

Paris, who also serves as executive committee chair for BioForward, the association leading the way for Wisconsin to be designated as a biotech hub, also emphasized that the state’s research institutions like UW–Madison, UW-Milwaukee, the Medical College of Wisconsin play a critical role in advancing groundbreaking medical research.

An investment in Wisconsin’s workforce

NIH funding supports opportunities for undergraduates, graduates and early-career researchers in Wisconsin who form the next generation of scientists, doctors and engineers, a point Karyn Frick, distinguished professor of psychology at UW-Milwaukee, highlighted at the news conference.

“Federal funding for basic and clinical research is critical for training the next generation of scientists and health professionals,” said Frick, who noted that many of her students have gone on to careers in health and medicine, remaining in state after graduation, bolstering an essential workforce for Wisconsinites and advancing life-saving innovations.

Life-saving research Wisconsinites rely on

At UW–Madison, more than 2,700 clinical trials — serving 20,000 patients — rely on NIH support. This includes experimental treatments for cancer, Alzheimer’s disease and other persistent health challenges, supporting projects like the Wisconsin Registry for Alzheimer’s Prevention (WRAP) study and the Clarity in Alzheimer’s Disease and Related Dementias Research Through Imaging, or CLARiTI, study.

UW–Madison Professor of Medicine Sterling Johnson leads the WRAP study, which seeks to diagnose Alzheimer’s disease years before people develop symptoms and identify ways to slow down the disease. The NIH-funded research involves more than 1,700 Wisconsin adults and has identified steps people can take to combat Alzheimer’s, including exercise and good sleep and nutrition.

“Here in Wisconsin, there’s about 120,000 people who are in the dementia phase of Alzheimer’s disease,” said Johnson, a clinical neuropsychologist whose research is focused on brain function in Alzheimer’s disease.

Johnson emphasized that when it comes to seeking prevention and treatments for Alzheimer’s, delaying research and innovation is not an option. He stressed that the disease continues to grow at an alarming rate, with the number of people afflicted expected to rise by 44 percent over the next 15 years.

This sense of urgency has motivated Sigrid Knuti, a volunteer WRAP study participant since 2005, who spoke at the event to offer her first-hand perspective with Alzheimer’s disease and the importance of continued federal investment in Alzheimer’s research.

Knuti is at risk of the disease, in part because of her family history — her mother and other close relatives had Alzheimer’s, and her family has been touched by the disease in other ways as well. Its devastating effects on individuals and families has motivated Knuti’s desire to help end the disease for her children and grandchildren.

“I want this generation to end Alzheimer’s, and for that, I’m counting on Sterling and the University of Wisconsin to get it done,” said Knuti.