AACR Panelists Call on Scientists to Stand Up Against Cuts That Threaten Progress, Patients, and Future Discoveries

During a discussion, “Cancer Research at a Crossroads,” at the 2025 AACR Annual Meeting, panelists said scientists must teach the public why cancer research matters—and how recent grant cancellations and policy decisions could bring unprecedented progress to a grinding halt. “Every dollar of NIH funding we spend generates about 2.4 to 2.5 dollars of return economic activity,” said E. John Wherry, PhD, the Richard and Barbara Schiffrin President’s Distinguished Professor and chair of Systems Pharmacology and Translational Therapeutics. “The $47 billion of NIH funding supports a $1.5 trillion pharmaceutical industry that helps as our partner in generating new drugs and new ways to treat patients.”