The ADA is voicing opposition to a House Republican proposal that would fundamentally restructure the National Institutes of Health, the nation’s largest health research agency.
In a joint coalition letter to House Energy and Commerce Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers, R-Wash., the ADA, American Association for Dental, Oral, And Craniofacial Research and 20 other groups urged House Republicans to consider the impact on dental, oral and craniofacial research.
“Having a dedicated institute centered on this region ensures research funding for areas like tooth development, gum disease, orofacial pain, and craniofacial birth defects without being overshadowed by broader health concerns,” the coalition wrote.
The Republican proposal would place the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research under the auspices of a newly created Institute of Neuroscience and Brain Research. NIDCR currently reports immediately to the director of NIH.