US Policy Impact on Cancer Research and Medical Science: How AACR is working with the broader advocacy community to defend medical research

2/19/26 1-2PM ET - virtual via Zoom - Webinars

Description:

For decades, the National Institutes of Health has been the nation’s cornerstone of medical research, driving basic discoveries that have led to groundbreaking treatments, increasing survival rates, and enhanced quality of life for patients. However, during the past year, we have witnessed major changes throughout the entire medical research enterprise, including within NIH’s scientific workforce. Additionally, funding freezes for leading research institutions across our nation, and ongoing disruptions of and restrictions on NIH’s efforts to work in partnership with the broader scientific community has created additional challenges.

As a result of this truly unprecedented and challenging time for medical research and cancer science, AACR has been partnered with the entire scientific community and has been fiercely advocating for its members—especially for the young investigators for whom this situation is particularly devastating. Please join this session to learn how AACR redoubled its advocacy efforts during the past year to underscore the importance of robust and sustained federal funding to support NIH and its lifesaving mission to accelerate progress for patients with cancer and the hundreds of other diseases that afflict millions of Americans.

Speaker:
Jon Retzlaff, MBA, MPA
Chief Policy Officer, and Vice President, Science Policy and Government Affairs
American Association for Cancer Research (AACR)

Jon Retzlaff oversees the government affairs, science policy, and patient advocacy activities for the AACR in Washington, D.C. In this role, he works closely with the AACR Science Policy and Government Affairs Committee to devise and implement strategies to influence important biomedical research-related public policy issues with the goal of accelerating the prevention and cure of all cancers. Previously, he worked on Capitol Hill and held senior roles at NIH and for the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology (FASEB).