Sen. Jerry Moran Visits University of Kansas Medical Center Lab
During the 2014 congressional recess, 2014 Early Career Policy Fellow Angela Pierce and other graduate students met with the health policy adviser for Sen. Jerry Moran (R-KS) at his district office in Olathe. During this meeting, they discussed their research and expressed concerns over the future of scientific progress as related to NIH and NSF funding. At the end of the meeting, Pierce extended an invitation to the senator to visit her laboratory to learn more about their research, which investigates mechanisms that contribute to chronic pelvic pain syndromes.
Several months later, Moran's staff contacted Pierce to arrange a visit, and on April 6, the senator toured the laboratory of Julie Christianson at the University of Kansas Medical Center. During the tour led by Pierce, Moran met with and members of KUMC leadership, including Karen Miller, dean of the School of Nursing and Health Professions; Peter Smith, senior associate dean of research; and Jamie Caldwell, executive director of the KU Medical Center Research Institute.
Moran spent about an hour at the lab learning more about the research being done and some of the specialized pieces of equipment necessary for the work. They spoke about how dependent the lab's work is on consistent levels of NIH funding. After the meeting, he posted on his Facebook page about the visit, saying, "As a member of the Senate Appropriations Health Subcommittee, I support investing in medical research. By doing so, we are investing in our future and driving economic growth."
If you are interested in requesting an in-district meeting or hosting a lab tour with your legislators, please contact advocacy@sfn.org.
