DOD-funded medical research -- good stuff!

[shireen]

I didn't realize the DOD funds medical research. This is so cool!

I subscribe to the Lupus Research Report from the Lupus Foundation of America. There was an announcement in the latest issue that a rheumatologist at the Cincinnati Children's Hospital received a $1.1 million award to examine the genomes of African Americans to identify which genes put a person at higher risk to develop lupus. There are 20,000 active duty soldiers and veterans that are being treated for Lupus through TRICARE or the VA system.

http://www.lupus.org/webmodules/webarticlesnet/templates/new_empty.aspx?articleid=3501&zoneid=99

DOD medical research grants may be a small part of the medical R&D budget, but it's important to have their participation in it. Health care should be part of our defense strategy. If we want this country to be strong, give its citizens some measure of economic security, a good affordable education, and good affordable healthcare. Most of the fools in Congress don't understand that! Maybe if we started framing the economic crisis, the health crisis, and education issues under the National Security umbrella, the Republicans would be more cooperative. Dare I hope?!

There's a full funding history at this site, http://cdmrp.army.mil/about/fundinghistory.shtml
Appended below is a graphic showing the different areas of medical research:

[T Wolf]

1. I work in cancer research, mostly on NIH-funded studies. We have had one DOD grant.

Rather than praise the war machine, recognize that they are forced to do that in order to maintain their level of funding.

See, by taking that money and supporting a research study, for instance, the dollars stay in the Pentagon budget instead of being returned to the treasury and made available to other governmental departments/entities.

Sure, it's better than more drones to murder children. But it can also be pulled mid-grant and redirected back to killing people.

The key is they keep the money in their control.

[shireen]

2. interesting .... didn't realize that

thanks for the info.