Science is under attack, with deadly consequences for US health research | Opinion

Growing up in Wichita, I never would have thought that ancient diseases would come back to haunt my home.

Tuberculosis and measles are easily preventable diseases, however with recent funding cuts towards life-saving science and healthcare, I worry about this city, and state for which I know and love.

I recently earned my PhD from Cornell, where I studied microbiology.

It was at a conference where I was shocked to hear about a tuberculosis outbreak in Kansas City, a mere twenty minutes from where my grandpa had lived.

Tuberculosis is caused by the bacterium Mycobacterium tuberculosis, which is a nasty lung infection that can spread to other organs.

Nearly 50% of untreated TB patients die, with medication lowering the death rate by approximately 38%.

Since the start of the outbreak in January 2024, there have been more than 70 reported infections and two deaths.

However, treatment options are limiting, as medications are becoming less and less effective at killing the bacteria, hence where scientists come into play. New antibiotics and therapeutic options are needed to halt these rising infections.

Globally, TB kills more people than any other infectious disease, largely because the public health infrastructure is lacking in some of the world’s most populous and poorest regions.

Here in the U.S., we are typically spared from diseases like this due to our excellent health infrastructure and easy access to cures, which are the direct outcome of basic research conducted in our world-leading universities and research institutes.

So, when this sort of disease pops up in the US, let alone a small town in the heartland, it typically draws a lot of attention.

Kansas isn’t the only state being plagued by this disease, however, as Missouri, Georgia and Tennessee also have growing rates of TB.

Tuberculosis isn’t the only preventable disease that is making a comeback.

Measles typically affects children under the age of 5. Since 1971, the death toll has plummeted when scientists developed the MMR vaccine against measles, mumps, and rubella.

That is until the controversy around vaccines began.

Unfortunately, a doctor who had their medical license revoked published one falsified paper that negatively shifted the public’s perception on vaccines. In the last 10 years, there has been about a 10% drop in MMR vaccination rates in Kansas alone.

Science can change and evolve, often at a fast pace, which can cause the public to be skeptical.

However, vaccine hesitancy has consequences. In the last 6 months, there have already been over 71 cases of measles, in 11 different Kansas counties.

Unfortunately, I would like to believe that people are vaccinating their kids, protecting their lives through science, but I know that is not always the case.

Scientists work to make people’s lives easier and healthier.

Through the discovery of antibiotics that treat deadly diseases, we have saved millions of lives. As technology developed, we have gotten to see the faces of loved ones who live far away.

Even man-made problems of pollution and loss of biodiversity have been addressed by scientists.

Investing in science benefits all. So then, why is our own government putting a target on our backs?

The National Institutes of Health accounts for less than 1% of the total federal budget, but this small investment has a big impact.

Every dollar invested in scientific research through the NIH produces on average a gain of over 250% of economic activity.

NIH funding supports universities, hospitals, research institutions, and businesses across the U.S. and globally.

In 2024, the NIH directly supported nearly half a million jobs and generated billions of dollars in new economic activity.

That number was slashed in 2025. Since January, there has been nearly a $9.3 billion loss in economic growth and with that, there are over 40,000 people without jobs. These numbers are expected to double in the coming years, which would all but destroy biomedical research progress in the US.

Kansans have also benefited from federal funding. In 2024, there was over $6 million of federal funding that went to Kansan businesses, for the development and discovery of new science and technology. There are over 20,000 Kansans whose jobs depend on the federal funding of science.

Our government is currently attacking science, for unclear reasons.

They started with canceling many NIH grants for health research, interrupting ongoing studies, causing labs to shut down and clinical trials to halt.

Now, so called “indirect costs” are being reduced, meaning funds that support research by helping pay for essential facilities, special equipment, skilled staff, and safety checks will also be hurt.

Medical research is not possible without funding to cover indirect costs. These funding cuts will make it harder to cure diseases and keep people healthy.

Clinical trials will be disrupted, erasing opportunities for people to benefit from new cures. The U.S. will lose its standing as a world leader in medical research, science, and technology.

I’m sick of it.

We need science. We need funding to support the lifesaving research currently being discovered. We need science to foster a healthier, and brighter future.

We need science in Kansas and beyond.