News & Events / BME Seminar Series / Past Seminar Speakers / 2017-18Milan Yager, MPA
BME Seminar Series Winter 2018
Thursday, January 25, 2018 at 4-5 pm
Tech L361
Host: Professor Eric Perreault
Executive Director, American Institute for Medical and Biological Engineering
The Science of Failed Public Policy -- Why Congress Doesn't Fund Medical Research
Introduction: In the halls of Congress there is widespread agreement about the role of R&D in the success of the America’s most innovative corporations. However, too often lawmakers view government models of discovery, from NASA to public university research labs, as obsolete and costly superstructures in today’s .com marketplace. What happened to the case for public exploration and discovery and why shouldn’t the private sector be trusted to find the cure for Grandma’s dementia or Johnny’s brain tumor? Long-time Washington political insider, former lobbyist, Administration appointee, and AIMBE’s Executive Director, Milan Yager, will reveal the hidden truth about why Congress doesn’t fund needed biomedical research.
Results and Discussion: This presentation will highlight innovations and achievements made possible from past federal investments in basic research; such as the internet, wireless communications, even mapping the human genome. Today, Congress seems less interested in past accomplishments as they assume new priorities to balance the budget, reduce government, and free the private sector to assume long-standing government responsibilities for innovation and discovery. How did Congress make spending decisions to permit federal R&D spending to be flat for over a decade? Learn about why Congress is no long accountable for reduce investments in basic research. Discover three secrets to making a winning case for federal funding for medical and biological research. Learn practical steps to successfully getting your point across to a Member of Congress. Find out how to brand your research as the Sputnik in the race to cure cancer, manage chronic disease, or Type I diabetes.
Conclusions: Arming yourself with the strategies for the political warfare in the case for innovation is more than just changing public policy; it can provide the key to changing the future landscape of new biomedical materials, products or procedures. Attendees will get insight into America’s next biomedical “moonshot” initiative.
Learn more about Milan Yager and their research here.