NIH funding cuts will limit life-saving research and patient access to innovative care and cures

Washington, D.C. – Today, Representative Scott Peters (CA-50) announced James B. Brewer, MD, PhD, medical professor and chair of the Department of Neurosciences at the University of California San Diego, as his guest to the President’s Joint Address to Congress. Last month, the Trump Administration announced a cap on all National Institutes of Health (NIH) grants for expenditures like lab space, utilities, IT, and equipment. These investments are integral to the work researchers do, and the proposed cuts will result in an estimated $800 million cut in funding in California alone.

In addition to chairing the Department of Neurosciences at UC San Diego School of Medicine, the top NIH-funded neuroscience department in the country, he leads the Shiley-Marcos Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center. Dr. Brewer has developed neuroimaging approaches to detect Alzheimer’s earlier in its progression, and, in his role, he trains medical students, residents, and fellows who conduct life-saving research and provide direct care to patients.

The NIH funding cap will devastate the development of life-saving research, inhibit patient access to life-saving treatments and clinical trials, and cede American dominance in biomedical research to our foreign competitors like China and Russia for years to come. In response, Rep. Peters led a letter last month demanding the Trump Administration preserve NIH funding.

“Every family knows the pain of watching a family member in the clutches of Alzheimer’s and would give anything for more time with the person they love,” said Rep. Peters. “There is not a single person on the street who would disagree that the government should invest more, not less, in finding therapies and a cure for this terrible condition. I am honored to bring Dr. Brewer to the President’s address to highlight the existential threat of the administration’s NIH proposals for life-changing and life-saving research in San Diego and beyond.”

“As a board-certified neurologist, I am looking forward to sharing my perspective from the frontline of Alzheimer’s research and care,” said Dr. Brewer. “Proposed cuts to NIH funding would have devastating impacts on my patients, my students, the public-private research partnerships that help fuel the broader economy, and the nation’s world leadership in science and innovation.”

San Diego is home to one of the country’s largest life sciences ecosystems, including world-class public and private research institutions and private companies that turn discoveries into therapies and cures. Rep. Peters' district receives nearly $1 billion in NIH grant funding every year, more than any other district in California.

If cuts go forward, Dr. Brewer’s patients may be unable to benefit from new studies applying advanced brain imaging toward improved safety monitoring of new drugs against Alzheimer’s disease. These patients will be limited to receiving the standard monitoring available in the community.

While a federal court has blocked the President’s across-the-board cuts, the administration is already looking for other ways to cut NIH grant funding.

Background:

Dr. Brewer completed his neurology residency at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore. He earned his MD and PhD in the Medical Scientists Training Program at Stanford University School of Medicine, where he developed advanced structural and functional neuroimaging approaches for the study of human memory.

Since coming to Congress, Rep. Peters has been a vocal advocate for increased funding for NIH. In 2013, he led a group of his colleagues on a tour of NIH so they could learn about the critical work being done there. He has sent numerous letters to Congressional Appropriators and supported the 21st Century Cures Act, which, for the first time, provided $1.75 billion in mandatory spending on NIH-supported innovation. This is in addition to more than $8 billion in annual authorizations for NIH’s research activities. In 2015, Rep. Peters successfully fought to increase NIH funding to a total of $37 billion—a record high even when adjusting for inflation. The amount includes $500 million in additional funds to address opioid addiction and $414 million extra for Alzheimer’s disease research. In 2019, he helped secure $29.1 billion for NIH, a $2 billion increase from the previous year. In 2020, Rep. Peters helped secure $43 billion for NIH. San Diego’s unique Innovation Ecosystem depends on federal investment in basic scientific research through NIH and other federal agencies. Last month, Rep. Peters led a letter demanding the Trump Administration preserve NIH funding.

###