Show Notes
Elizabeth Ginexi served as a scientific program official at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) for 22 years. During that time, she stewarded taxpayer investments in biomedical and behavioral research. An applied social psychologist by training, Liz's work spanned historic public health initiatives, from building the scientific framework for FDA tobacco regulations to developing non-pharmacological pain treatments for veterans. When the administration began dismantling NIH, Liz took an early retirement rather than comply with antiscientific directives. She's since become a fierce advocate for the Addiction Science Defense Network and scientists everywhere. She's put her analytic talents to work on Substack by writing about the internal collapse of the world's premier biomedical research agency.
Highlights & Topics: Liz's Story: Hear Liz’s firsthand account of the coordinated communication freezes, grant cancellations, and assault on career scientists. Near-Term Risk: How the loss of nearly 5,000 NIH employees and the slashing of funding opportunities will gut an industry that generates billions for the U.S. economy. Long-Term Threat: Why the true cost of abandoning biomedical research won’t be visible until future generations lack critical treatments and cures. Call for Advocacy: Why scientists must embrace activism, and how the public and private sectors can step in to sustain U.S. innovation.
Additional Resources: Stand Up for Science: Stand Up For Science is a political activism organization dedicated to defending and advancing America’s scientific ecosystem, a cornerstone of democracy, freedom, and progress. Union of Concerned Scientists: The Union of Concerned Scientists puts rigorous, independent science into action, developing solutions and advocating for a healthy, safe, and just future.
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