Learning to Know the Truth
Recent reporting highlights growing concern about patient-centered research within the U.S. biomedical system. A Duke Chronicle article describes how reductions and restructuring of federal research funding—particularly from the National Institutes of Health—are intensifying long-standing tensions about what research is prioritized, who sets those priorities, and how closely research remains connected to patients and communities.
Balancing Discovery, Translation, and Care
Basic science research is essential for discovery and long-term progress, often operating far upstream from immediate patient care. Translational research is meant to bridge discovery and application, while clinical research directly engages patients, clinicians, and real-world health outcomes.
When these domains are well balanced, discovery, translation, and care reinforce one another. When they drift out of balance, the system can begin to protect institutions and investigators more than the people research is meant to serve.
When Incentives Drift Away From Patients
The article raises concerns that funding pressures, institutional incentives, and competitive grant structures can unintentionally favor scale, prestige, and self-preservation over responsiveness to patient needs.
These forces may widen the distance between research decision-making and lived experience, weakening public trust and dulling early signals about what communities actually need.
A My28Days® Reflection Cycle
Days 1–7: Noticing Distance
Notice where research feels close to everyday life—and where it feels far away. What kinds of questions are being funded? Whose voices shape priorities? Simply noticing distance is the first step.
Days 8–14: Noticing Tension
Notice the tension between discovery and care. Basic science moves slowly and abstractly; clinical care moves urgently and personally. Where do these timelines collide, and where do they fail to meet?
Days 15–21: Noticing Translation
Focus on translation—how knowledge moves from lab to bedside. What slows that movement? What incentives help it, and which ones block it?
Days 22–28: Noticing Trust
Notice trust. Public trust grows when people feel seen, protected, and served. When research feels distant or self-protective, trust erodes.
You don’t have to solve this today.
In systems as complex as biomedical research, simply noticing is enough.
Read the full article at The Chronicle:
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