Alicia Zhou: Fighting for the future of cancer science amid NIH disruptions

Alicia Zhou, CEO of Cancer Research Institute, shared a post on LinkedIn:

Recent National Institutes of Health funding disruptions have left early-career scientists facing uncertainty, stalled critical research, and put future breakthroughs in jeopardy. At Cancer Research Institute (CRI), we refuse to let progress grind to a halt.

That’s why CRI is committing $2.5M to fund 10 additional postdoctoral fellowships, ensuring that promising cancer research continues – even in the face of federal funding instability. This is a direct investment in the next generation of scientific pioneers who are driving the future of immunotherapy and lifesaving treatments.

But we can’t do it alone. Collaboration among scientists, institutions, and philanthropy is more critical than ever. Here’s my point of view on why urgent action is needed – and how we can work together to protect cancer research from disruption.

Saving Research, Saving Lives: Fighting for the Future of Cancer Science Amid NIH Disruptions

At the Cancer Research Institute (CRI), we recognize The National Institutes of Health as a cornerstone of scientific progress and medical innovation.

NIH-funded research has been instrumental in advancing immunotherapy, precision medicine, and early detection technologies – breakthroughs that have transformed cancer treatment and saved countless lives.

Yet today, that progress is in jeopardy. Recent disruptions to the NIH’s scientific workforce, coupled with proposed funding cuts, threaten to stall momentum at a time when cancer breakthroughs are within reach. Hiring has been frozen, critical projects have stalled, and uncertainty is forcing talented scientists to reconsider their futures.

While robust and predictable NIH funding remains essential, periods of uncertainty underscore the need to ensure continuous support for cancer research.

In times of federal instability, supplemental funding from philanthropic and institutional sources can help sustain the progress of cutting-edge therapies and prevent disruptions to lifesaving treatments for patients who cannot afford to wait.

Protecting research, protecting lives: Our $2.5 million response

In response to this crisis, CRI is taking action. We are committing $2.5 million from our reserve fund to support an additional 10 postdoctoral fellowships over the next year at leading universities and research centers worldwide.

This brings our total commitment to postdoctoral funding to $11.2 million for the year – a nearly 30% increase over our original plan. These fellowships will help sustain cancer research at a time when federal funding uncertainty has left many scientists in limbo.

A recent survey by the National Postdoctoral Association found that 43% of postdoctoral researchers state that their positions are now at risk due to federal policy decisions, and another 35% report that their research has been delayed or jeopardized.

These are the scientists working at the cutting edge of cancer immunology – researchers whose discoveries could lead to the next generation of lifesaving therapies. Without urgent intervention, many may be forced to leave the field altogether, taking their expertise and potential breakthroughs with them.

This is an unprecedented crisis that demands bold action. If we fail to act, we risk losing a generation of scientific talent and slowing progress toward the cures patients need now. CRI’s additional fellowships are an immediate step to mitigate this funding gap, ensuring that pioneering cancer research continues uninterrupted.

But long-term solutions require a diversified funding approach that includes private philanthropy, industry partnerships, and academic collaboration.

We urge academic institutions, private foundations, and philanthropic organizations to join us in sustaining the scientific workforce that fuels medical progress. Science cannot pause while policymakers deliberate – patients’ lives depend on continued discovery and innovation.

Our SAC Leaders, in their own words

Members of CRI’s Scientific Advisory Council, composed of the world’s leaders in immunology and immuno-oncology, are sounding the alarm on what is at stake if NIH funding is undermined.

James P. Allison, PhD, a Nobel laureate whose groundbreaking work in immunotherapy has revolutionized cancer treatment, emphasized the urgency of the situation:

‘Scientific discovery doesn’t happen overnight – it takes years of rigorous research, collaboration, and investment. Interruptions in funding don’t just slow progress; they set back entire fields of study, delaying critical breakthroughs by decades.

We are at real risk of losing the next generation of scientists, whose fresh ideas and innovations are essential for future breakthroughs. The momentum we’ve built is too important to lose.’

Elizabeth M. Jaffee, MD, a renowned cancer immunologist and past president of the American Association for Cancer Research, echoed this sentiment:

‘Every clinical trial, every laboratory experiment, and every patient’s hope for a better future depends on sustained investment in biomedical research. Without urgent action, we risk driving away the bright minds whose discoveries could save lives.

We must do everything in our power to protect and sustain the scientific ecosystem that has given so many people a fighting chance against cancer.’

The time to act is now.

The stakes are too high for inaction. Without reliable funding, cancer research will slow, clinical trials will stall, and promising treatments will remain out of reach for the patients who need them most. A strong NIH remains essential, and we must also strengthen alternative funding streams to protect research from future disruptions.

CRI stands ready to work with all stakeholders – policymakers, institutions, funders, and advocates – to ensure that biomedical research remains a national priority. We urge decision-makers to act now and affirm their commitment to robust, predictable NIH funding.

And we call on partners across the scientific, philanthropic, and private sectors to step forward in sustaining cancer research in this moment of uncertainty.

Together, we can ensure that today’s disruptions do not become tomorrow’s lost breakthroughs.

Cancer research cannot wait.”

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