Today, Congresswoman Louise M. Slaughter (D-NY) announced a National Institutes of Health grant totaling almost $3 million dollars to the University of Rochester to study allergies and infectious diseases, specifically influenza. A microbiologist by training, Rep. Slaughter has been a lifelong proponent of medical research funding, and has been vocal about cuts made to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and other research organizations as part of the sequester.
"The University of Rochester does amazing research on infectious diseases, and I'm glad they have been selected by National Institutes of Health to continue this critical work on combating influenza," Rep. Slaughter said. "Unfortunately, too many projects are going unfunded due to foolhardy sequester cuts to the NIH and other research arms of the government. If America is going to remain on the cutting edge of medical research and lead the world in finding lifesaving cures, we have to invest in it at the federal level."
According to the Centers for Disease Control, influenza and pneumonia claimed the lives of over 50,000 Americans in 2010.