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By Vida Vongvanith

As part of the UCSF campus, the future of research and development in the Science and Healthcare fields are of major concern. With the elections coming up in less than a month, it is best to know where our candidates stand on the issues that are important to us. National universities and scientific communities came together to call for a public debate in which the U.S. presidential candidates could share their view on issues such as Health and Medicine, Scentific Integrity, and Stem Cell Research. This public outcry materialized into www.sciencedebate2008.com where 14 questions were posed to both candidates. Below, is a short summary or selections from some of the answers provided by the candidates. For more information and the complete questions and answers, please visit the Sciencedebate 2008 website.

Innovation: What policies will you support to ensure that America remains the world leader in innovation?

Obama stresses an increase in funding and support in both research and education. He also says he wants to provide broadband Internet connections to all Americans. Doubling basic research budgets over the next decade, and focus on prioritizing math and science teachers when funding “education costs for those who commit to teaching in a high-need school.” On the business side he says he’ll make the current R&D tax credit permanent in order to provide strong incentive to U.S. businesses so that research can quickly lead to products and jobs.

“Ensuring that the U.S. continues to lead the world in science and technology will be a central priority for my administration” -Obama

“My administration will increase funding for basic research in physical and life sciences, mathematics, and engineering at a rate that would double basic research budgets over the next decade. -Obama

McCain focuses more on the business end of innovations; with policies that “will provide broad pools of capital, low taxes and incentives for research in America, a commitment to a skilled and educated workforce, and a dedication to opening markets around the globe.” He credits time spent in the Navy and use of its technologies as qualifications for leadership of a technological revolution, and states that Congress “spurred the rapid rise of mobilie phones and Wi-Fi technology” under his “guiding hand”. His goals as President include appointing a Science and Technology Advisor within the White House and developing and implementing a global competitive agenda through a series of business roundtables with industry and academia leaders.

“I am committed to streamlining burdensome regulations and effectively protecting American intellectual property in the United States and around the globe. -McCain

“I believe we must nurture the conditions under which entrepreneurs can continue to prosper by bringing new innovators to market and the American people can reap the rewards. “ –McCain

Education. What role do you think the federal government should play in preparing K-12 students for the science and technology driven 21st Century?

Obama stresses the importance of STEM education for all citizens, not just for those pursuing careers in those fields. He touches upon a “zero to five” program that prepares students before elementary school and a $4000 American Opportunity Tax Credit to prepare them financially for higher education. He also plans to ensure that teachers are qualified and that math and science teachers are prioritized in grants to fund their educational costs.

“My education plan is built on the recognition that teachers play a critical role in student learning and achievement. My administration will work closely with states and local communities to ensure that we recruit math and science graduates to the teaching profession.” -Obama

McCain touches upon the need to invigorate the community college system by supporting grants for digital and wireless technologies to be used in teaching, and pledges to allocate $250 million to expanding online education programs. He stresses the fact that less Americans are choosing STEM degrees and careers and believes that we must “move aggressively…from elementary school on” to give students exposure to the sciences. He also believes that bringing private corporations into the fold would maximize student potential. Unlike Obama, he is more concerned about reform of current teaching methods rather than on recruitment of new teachers.

“Our nation’s education system should not only focus on graduating new students; we must also help re-train displaced workers as they prepare for the rapidly evolving economy.”-McCain

“We must strengthen skills of existing science and math teachers through training and education, through professional development programs and community colleges.”-McCain

Pandemics and Biosecurity. What steps should the United States take to protect our population from global pandemics or deliberate biological attacks?

Obama would pledge $5 billion over 3 years for international intelligence and law enforcement infrastructure that targets terrorist networks and has already pledged $10 billion per year over the next 5 years in electronic health information systems for use in both times of emergency and routine health care. He would strengthen intelligence collection overseas and expand the bioforensics program in order to track biological weaponry and “work with the international community to make any use of disease a weapon declared a crime against humanity.” He stresses the importance of preparedness should an attack occur, by providing resources to the public health system and the hospitals in order for them to cope should a pandemic occur. He also mentions increasing partnership between government at local, state and federal levels.

“I will stress the need for broad-gauged vaccines and drugs and for more agile and responsive drug development and production systems. This effort will strengthen the U.S. biotech and pharmaceutical industry and create high-wage jobs.” -Obama

McCain also focuses on preparedness; as well as communication between all levels of government and segments of society, surveillance and detection and response and containment. He believes that we must continue to develop automated detectors (rather than use the current time-consuming manual methods) to analyze and sample biological agents and provide real-time reports to public health and emergency management officials.

“For both pandemics and biological attacks, our final and perhaps most important line of defense are effective medical countermeasures. We must fund research and development of new medicines and vaccines and make sure that we have adequate stockpiles of countermeasures and a robust and well thought out distribution plan in case crisis strikes.” -McCain

Genetics research. What is the right policy balance between the benefits of genetic advances and their potential risks?

Both candidates touch upon the ethical, social and legal implications of rDNA technology and genetic research and both would rely on the counsel of others to make their informed decisions.

“The NIH established the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee, which now provides advice and guidance on human gene therapy as well as other ethical concerns or potential abuse of rDNA technology. Until we are equipped to ascertain the safety of such methods, I will continue to support the activities and recommendations of the Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee.”-Obama

“The scientific potential and ethical issues associated with genetics are important and complex enough that I will actively seek out the wise counsel of experts about how to ensure that we are best serving the needs of the American people.” -McCain

Stem cells. What is your position on government regulation and funding of stem cell research?

Obama believes that embryonic stem cells remain the “gold standard” and should be utilized as such. He also believes that a federally-supported stem cell research program “will encourage talented U.S. scientists to engage in this important new field” and lead to global competition and a greater quality and quantity of scientific research.

“I strongly support expanding research on stem cells. I believe that the restrictions that President Bush has placed on funding of human embryonic stem cell research have handcuffed our scientists and hindered our ability to compete with other nations. As president, I will lift the current administration’s ban on federal funding of research on embryonic stem cell lines created after August 9, 2001 through executive order, and I will ensure that all research on stem cells is conducted ethically and with rigorous oversight….I believe that it is ethical to use these extra embryos for research that could save lives when they are freely donated for that express purpose…. While adult stem cells, such as those harvested from blood or bone marrow, are already used for treatment of some diseases, they do not have the versatility of embryonic stem cells and cannot replace them.”

McCain is more hesitant to take a strong stance on the use of embryonic stem cell but supports federal funding for it as well as other related research.

 “While I support federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, I believe clear lines should be drawn that reflect a refusal to sacrifice moral values and ethical principles for the sake of scientific progress. Moreover, I believe that recent scientific breakthroughs raise the hope that one day this debate will be rendered academic. I also support funding for other research programs, including amniotic fluid and adult stem cell research which hold much scientific promise and do not involve the use of embryos. I oppose the intentional creation of human embryos for research purposes and I voted to ban the practice of “fetal farming,” making it a federal crime for researchers to use cells or fetal tissue from an embryo created for research purposes.” -McCain

Scientific Integrity. How will you balance scientific information with politics and personal beliefs in your decision-making?

Obama: “I will restore the basic principle that government decisions should be based on the best- available, scientifically-valid evidence and not on the ideological predispositions of agency officials or political appointees. More broadly, I am committed to creating a transparent and connected democracy, using cutting-edge technologies to provide a new level of transparency, accountability, and participation for America’s citizens. Policies must be determined using a process that builds on the long tradition of open debate that has characterized progress in science, including review by individuals who might bring new information or contrasting views. I have already established an impressive team of science advisors, including several Nobel Laureates, who are helping me to shape a robust science agenda for my administration. “

McCain: “We have invested huge amounts of public funds in scientific research. The public deserves to have the results of that research. Our job as elected officials is to develop the policies in response to those research results. Many times our research results have identified critical problems for our country. Denial of the facts will not solve any of these problems. Solutions can only come about as a result of a complete understanding of the problem. I believe policy should be based upon sound science. Good policy development will make for good politics.”

“Integrity is critical in scientific research. Scientific research cannot succeed without integrity and trust. My own record speaks for integrity and putting the country first, not political agendas.”

Research. What priority would you give to investment in basic research in upcoming budgets?

Obama understands that we are “clearly under-investing in research across the spectrum of scientific and engineering disciplines” and acknowledges that young scientists are being blocked from research because of insufficient funding that leads to only 1 in 10 proposals being accepted.

“ As president, I will increase funding for basic research in physical and life sciences, mathematics, and engineering at a rate that would double basic research budgets over the next decade.” –Obama
McCain stresses the importance of ensuring that current funding is not misdirected or spent on unnecessary bureaucratic requirements that result in less net funding for basic scientific research.

“I am committed to reinvigorating America’s commitment to basic research, and will ensure my administration funds research activities accordingly. I have supported increased funding at DOE, NSF, and NIH for years and will continue to do so. I will continue my commitment to ensure that the funding is properly managed and that the nation's research needs are adequately addressed.” -McCain

Health. How do you see science, research and technology contributing to improved health and quality of life?

Although Obama touches upon all the technological advances the American people have made in the field of health care, his main concern is that of affordable health care for average Americans. He goes into detail on how he would implement such a plan. He, like McCain, points out that all healthcare problems can not be solved by science and technology, but those that can should continue their programs.

“The effectiveness of medical care can be improved, and its costs can be reduced, by greater emphasis on best practices, electronic medical records, hospital safety, preventive strategies, and improved public health surveillance.” -Obama

“…efforts to control costs also should make greater use of the tools for prevention and clinical management that already exist; enlist more effective participation of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), as well as the NIH; and encourage investments in healthcare and health research by the private and not-for-profit sectors.” -Obama

“Overall, I am committed to three major tasks that will be necessary to confront widespread concerns about the nation’s health: provision of healthcare plans to all of our citizens; comprehensive efforts to make our health care system more cost-efficient; and continued biomedical research to understand diseases more thoroughly and find better ways to prevent and treat them.”-Obama

McCain brings his health condition into the forefront by mentioning that “each one of us who has been to the doctor in recent years has benefited greatly by…scientific and technological developments.” McCain also mentions the need to make healthcare available to the American people without being too specific about how he would do so.

“As in many other areas, science, research, and technology offer many opportunities to improve productivity and reduce cost. For instance, we are just beginning to realize the vast potential of telemedicine. It allows doctors to be able to reach more patients, especially those located in remote areas.” -McCain

“While technologies and the latest research can go a long way toward finding new treatments and reducing costs, government policies must increase the availability of these to the American people.”-McCain

Vida Vongvanith is a second-year pharmacy student.