The President’s State of the Union Address delivered on January 20 focused on growing a middle-class economy, and touched upon how science and technology can contribute toward that goal. In his speech, the President stated, “21st century businesses will rely on American science, technology, research and development. I want the country that eliminated polio and mapped the human genome to lead a new era of medicine – one that delivers the right treatment at the right time… Tonight, I’m launching a new Precision Medicine Initiative to bring us closer to curing diseases like cancer and diabetes – and to give all of us access to the personalized information we need to keep ourselves and our families healthier.” While it refers to the concept of personalized medicine, no details were provided as to what this Initiative will encompass, though it is safe to say that many will hope to see this translate into funding for biomedical research. The President also stated that one of the biggest challenges that we face is that of climate change.
21 January 2015