New Director’s Message: The Research Puzzle

Last fall, President Obama visited the National Institutes of Health to discuss the impact of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act. During his speech, the President made a comment that strongly resonated with me:

"Breakthroughs in medical research take far more than the occasional flash of brilliance, as important as that can be. Progress takes time; it takes hard work; it can be unpredictable; it can require a willingness to take risks and going down some blind alleys occasionally—figuring out what doesn’t work is sometimes as important as figuring out what does—all of this needs the support of government." [emphasis mine]

I think this concept is often lost in our eagerness to find answers that will bring help to people suffering from disease.

Source: http://nccam.nih.gov/about/offices/od/director.htm?nav=rss

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