By Jennie McKee
As the U.S. Congress and the Trump Administration consider proposals that could have a major impact on the structure and functions of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), it’s more important than ever to understand the crucial role the NIH has long played in advancing modern health care and technology, according to Pari V. Pandharipande, MD, MPH.
Dr. Pandharipande, who serves as the government relations liaison on the RSNA Board of Directors, as well as chair of the Radiology Department at the University of Pennsylvania in Pittsburgh, took part in an educational course held yesterday, sponsored by the RSNA Government Relations Committee.
Offering a brief history, Dr. Pandharipande noted that the NIH began in 1887 as a one-room laboratory focused on the medical care of merchant seamen within the Marine Hospital Service. It took formal shape in 1930, when it was officially formed under the Ransdell Act. “I think this is a point where it’s important to look back at history,” she said, noting that at the time, the government tried to obtain private sector philanthropic support to study the effects of biological warfare.
“It failed to secure funding from other sources,” she said. “This was the real genesis of the concept of public funding in medical research.”“A lot of us who do NIH-funded research are really focused on funding, but it’s important to understand that the NIH provides a lot more than that for the research community across the country. The NIH informs the ethics of how we do medical research, and it shapes the future of medical research.”
Pari V. Pandharipande, MD, MPH
According to Dr. Pandharipande, the NIH has played a crucial role in the work of hundreds of Nobel Prize-winning scientists who conducted their work at the NIH or were supported by NIH funding. This research has elevated the understanding of a myriad of medical topics, from how the brain works to how viruses can cause cancer.
NIH-funded research also led to the development of MRI, Dr. Pandharipande said. Most organizations that evaluate the importance of medical advancements in the past century put imaging—in particular, cross-sectional imaging in MRI—at the top of the list, she asserted.
While funding sources such as industry and philanthropy are important, the bulk of funding for research in radiology and other medical fields has come and will continue to come from the NIH, she said.
Pointing to the importance of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging & Bioengineering (NIBIB) which was established as part of the NIH in 2000, Dr. Pandharipande said NIBIB is a dominant site to which many radiologists submit their research. NIH funding has yielded a significant return on investment (ROI), noting the correlation between greater funding and more papers and patents over time.
“A lot of us who do NIH-funded research are really focused on funding, but it’s important to understand that the NIH provides a lot more than that for the research community across the country,” she said. “The NIH informs the ethics of how we do medical research, and it shapes the future of medical research.”
Other speakers included Carrie Wolinetz, PhD, of the government relations firm Lewis-Burke Associates, who spoke on understanding potential changes to the NIH’s structure and function and impacts on the biomedical research ecosystem. Pamela K. Woodward, MD, the Elizabeth E. Mallinckrodt Professor of Radiology and director of Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology at the Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, addressed key breakthroughs in medical imaging and radiology and their implications for enhancing health and well-being. Libby O’Hare, PhD, RSNA director of Government Relations, served as moderator.
Access the education session, “The Critical Role of the NIH in Advancing Medical Imaging Research: Innovations, Impact, and Possible Consequences of Legislative Reform” (T3-RCP17) on demand at RSNA.org/MeetingCentral.
© 2025 RSNA.
The RSNA 2025 Daily Bulletin is the official publication of the 110th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America. Published online Sunday, November 30 — Thursday, December 4.
The RSNA 2025 Daily Bulletin is owned and published by the Radiological Society of North America, Inc., 820 Jorie Blvd., Suite 200, Oak Brook, IL 60523.
