Behind Our Science

Behind Our Science Podcast aims to close the gap in understanding the complex mechanisms driving disease formation and engage the general public and research advocates. We will engage the public by explaining the latest exciting biomedical innovations in simple terms free from jargon and emphasize the importance of supporting continued research in the biomedical sciences. We will explain the importance of how understanding fundamental mechanisms driving diseases provides a solid foundation for breakthroughs in scientific research.https://asippathways.com/behind-our-science/

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Behind Our Science

Episode 28- NIH Policy Changes and Its Potential Impact on Research

July 30, 2025 • Behind Our Science • Episode 28

Thank you for listening to our 28th episode, focusing on the recent federal budget cuts and what that means for biomedical research.

In this episode, the Behind Our Science team has two very important interviews with Dr. William Coleman and Ms. Dani Burns on how cuts to the NIH and indirect funds affect biomedical research as a whole and in academic settings.

Dr. Coleman is the Executive Officer of the American Society for Investigative Pathology, a proud sponsor of our podcast, and a member of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology. Dr. Coleman is a former academic researcher with over 140 peer-reviewed publications and 11 books published on his research covering liver stem cells and liver and breast cancer. During our interview, Dr. Coleman describes what the current budget cuts at the NIH mean to the state of biomedical research in academia and professional societies and how the attack on DEI policies impacts the next generation of scientists.

Ms. Dani Burns is a clinical department administrator with over 10 years of experience in research administration and an MBA with a focus on healthcare administration. Ms. Burns is responsible for oversight of all research expenditures and indirect allocations in her current role. In this episode, Ms. Burns covers the importance of indirect funds in supporting universities and research success and debunks common misconceptions on what indirect funds really are.

We end our episode with a short highlight from cohost Dr Vik Meadows and her experience at the 2025 Capitol Hill Day in Washington, DC. As a representative for the Histochemical Society at this advocacy event organized by FASEB, Vik met with the offices of Pennsylvania senators and congressmen to advocate for increase of federal funds and stand up for science!

Want to find out more about how federal funds impact your state and district? Visit https://www.faseb.org/science-policy-and-advocacy/federal-funding-data to find out more. Don’t forget to also check out the SCIMap: View Impact of Federal Health Research cuts https://scienceimpacts.org/ shared by @joshuasweitz.bsky.social .

Interested in advocating for the increase of federal research funds for biomedical research? Check out the resources organized by FASEB at https://www.faseb.org/science-policy-and-advocacy/become-an-advocate.

We want to hear from you! Have you been impacted by the federal research fund cuts? Has your institution reacted to the indirect funds cut? Let us know in the comments or on social media. We stand with you and stand up for science! Stay curious!

#SciencePolicy #FASEB #ASIP #HSC #DEI #CapitolHillDay #FASEBOnTheHill