Fed budget cuts threaten U. health research - Vivian S. Lee, Salt Lake Tribune

They are breakthroughs that have changed the landscape of medicine, not only in Utah but around the globe: Researchers who identified genes that predispose certain people to breast cancer, scientists who learned how snail venom could be used as a painkiller, specialists who have developed drug therapies that can add years to a cancer patient’s life. The list goes on, and all of these ground-breaking discoveries occurred at the University of Utah. Now, as a result of federal sequestration, we fear we could be telling fewer of these remarkable stories in the future. Sequestration will cut vital federal funding for medical research. The National Institutes of Health, the world’s leading medical grant agency, is losing $1.55 billion of its $31 billion annual budget. That translates to a 5 percent cut to medical research, a reduction that will cause major obstacles for research programs. http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/opinion/56036015-82/research-health-utah-university.html.csp