Newswise — WASHINGTON—The Endocrine Society is proudly partnering with the March for Science, which will bring together more than 100 scientific organizations on Saturday, April 22 to celebrate science and rally public support for publicly funded research.
The march, to be held in Washington, DC, is expected to draw thousands. More than 400 cities worldwide will host simultaneous events. Organizers of the march want to use the event as an opportunity for scientists to reach out to their communities, to take science out of the labs and journals, and share science with the world.
Endocrine scientists continue to make remarkable contributions in areas of criticalnational interest, including diabetes, obesity, the microbiome, cancer, bone health, and fertility; however, progress depends on adequate federal support. Currently, funding for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is in jeopardy as Congress has not passed a Fiscal Year 2017 funding bill and the President has proposed a 20 percent cut for FY 2018. The Endocrine Society is calling on Congress to complete work on a FY 2017 funding bill that includes $34 billion for the NIH before the deadline of April 28.
“Science is, at its core, evidence-based and non-partisan. The increasing politicization of science has resulted in stagnant funding, a rejection of evidence, and a shrinking research workforce,” said Society President Henry M. Kronenberg, M.D. “The Society is excited to join with the March for Science to support the scientific community, increased public investment in research, and evidence-based policies in the public interest.”
Federal funding of biomedical research has led to major accomplishments in endocrinology such as understanding: how the hormone insulin works, resulting in treatments for diabetes; the effects of hormones such as aldosterone on the heart, leading to new treatments for heart failure; and thyroid hormones, resulting in the development of new, better, and safer therapies for patients with thyroid disorders.
The Society encourages those who wish to support the scientific community to join its NIH funding campaign and contact their Senators and Representatives, letting their voices be heard.
# # #
Endocrinologists are at the core of solving the most pressing health problems of our time, from diabetes and obesity to infertility, bone health, and hormone-related cancers. The Endocrine Society is the world’s oldest and largest organization of scientists devoted to hormone research and physicians who care for people with hormone-related conditions.
The Society, which is celebrating its centennial in 2016, has more than 18,000 members, including scientists, physicians, educators, nurses and students in 122 countries. To learn more about the Society and the field of endocrinology, visit our site at www.endocrine.org. Follow us on Twitter at @TheEndoSociety and @EndoMedia.
RSS