Jan. 8, 2012: Wearing my Tim Tebow jersey, I held my breath as overtime began in the Broncos-Steelers playoff game. Tebow launched the ball to Demaryius Thomas—“DT”—who stiff-armed an 80-yard run that won us a game we were never supposed to be in. Those 11 beautiful seconds will live with me forever.
DT is my favorite Denver Bronco, and as he enters the Ring of Fame, many Coloradans agree he transformed both our team and community. I was devastated when I learned of his death, just weeks before his 34th birthday, due to complications from a seizure disorder — a brain disorder. I was in my first semester of medical school, coincidentally learning about the brain at the same time that I heard of his death. I could not shake the loss of someone so young, and to a brain disorder that I later learned is very common in young people.
At the University of Iowa, I am training to become both a doctor and a scientist, and I hope to dedicate my life to helping people with brain disorders. I am driven by the passion to serve society that my Colorado public school teachers instilled in me. My love for learning and following my passions was nurtured by my teachers across Eaglecrest, Thunder Ridge, Antelope Ridge, and Meadow Point. My teachers all encouraged me—a shy girl from an immigrant family whose parents had not attended college—to dare to dream of becoming a doctor or scientist.
Supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), my research focuses on helping children with mental health disorders, which are conditions that will impact kids through the rest of their lives. Attacks on scientific funding, however—including the Trump Administration’s unprecedented proposed 40% cut to the NIH budget for the upcoming year—threaten careers like mine and medical progress made by thousands of doctors and scientists. Research funding boosts the economy, generating $2.50 for every $1 spent on research. But more importantly, research saves lives.
During medical school, I saw how diseases, including brain disorders, do not discriminate. They affect people from all walks of life and all ages. I stood in hospital hallways, gathering courage to see sick patients and their families, many of whom reminded me of my own family. We likely all know someone with a brain disorder, and as our population ages, brain disorders are becoming more common. Thankfully, treatments have progressed through research efforts, such as those conducted in labs at the University of Colorado, which are funded by taxpayer dollars.
In the clinic, I saw how the results of scientific research improve lives, such as anti-seizure medications helping people suffering from conditions like DT’s. I have shared joy in cancer remission celebrations with patients after long months in clinical trials. But I have also seen how much further we have to go in medicine, where answers do not exist yet. That is why continued investment in scientific research, which serves the public good, is important.
Funding scientific and medical research is a nonpartisan issue. We all benefit from its progress, and we all suffer if it stalls. Institutions like National Jewish Health and the University of Colorado-Anschutz lead in advancing treatments, research, and training the next generation of doctors and scientists. We cannot afford to delay medical progress, nor can we ignore public health initiatives or lose our future leaders.
If you believe in the power of science and education, I urge you to support continued federal investment in research. Advocate for science funding — tell your friends, family, community, and elected officials (5calls.org is a great resource) why science matters. Join your local Stand Up for Science organization.
I owe my success to my Colorado community that raised me: to teachers who believed in me, field trips to the Denver Museum of Nature and Science, and the mountains that taught me about ecology and conservation. I carry Colorado with me everywhere I go, and I hope we continue to encourage the next generation in daring to dream that they can become doctors and scientists, just like my teachers did for me.
Michelle Chen is an MD-PhD student at the University of Iowa. She grew up in Aurora, Colorado.