Top American scientists are simply unemployed. Canada is launching welcome mats
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Now, many of the top scientists in the United States are out of work.
Secretary of Health Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
Researchers on both sides of the border say not everyone is a scientist, but Canada can play a role in ensuring that American scientists can continue to research.
Canadians say it’s interesting that they hear from their American colleagues every day looking for job opportunities in Canada.
One example: Dr. Madhukar Pai, director of McGill Global Health program, told CBC News that he expects record applicants to receive new lifetime jobs in his department and open in the coming weeks. This is a particularly difficult area sweep the floor At the U.S. International Development Agency, life-saving programs are being cut around the world to deal with diseases such as HIV and malaria.
Scientists oversee cancer research, vaccine and drug approvals, public health and tobacco regulations have also been fired. Public health experts say large-scale shootings could have a disastrous impact on the United States and the world.
“Some of the world’s top public health experts have just lost their jobs,” said Dr. Tom Frieden, former director of the CDC.
Without the CDC, he said more people will get sick from infectious diseases and may die in the United States and around the world, including Canada.
“Canada has risks and Canada may step up its efforts.”
Former CDC communications director Kevin Griffis resigned two weeks ago after working at the agency for three years. He said that large-scale shooting is widespread and may have unexpected consequences.
Vaccine critic Robert F. Kennedy Jr, who promised to address the chronic disease, was appointed U.S. Secretary of Health Thursday after overcoming resistance from medical institutions and boycotts from Congress and pledged to limit its role in vaccination policy. “Misinformation does not respect the boundaries,” said Dr. Joss Reimer, president of the Canadian Medical Association, adding that any misinformation is very worrying.
He said if the agency needs to hold a press conference on major public health threats today, “no one even knows how to run the voice. Because they fired the studio team,” he said.
Kirsten Patrick, editor-in-chief of the Journal of the Canadian Medical Association (CMAJ), said that cutting funding to the U.S. will also create a gap in evidence because the funding for research will decrease in overall research. That’s why Canada’s strengthening research funding is more important, she said.
“If our situation is in the South, the research is not as funded as it should, and there is not even some research done, then we need to have a strong research system in Canada,” she said.
Province “release welcome mat”
Canadian provinces have tried to attract American health experts to suddenly withdraw from work.
Manitoba is “releasing a welcome mat” for trained doctors, nurses and researchers in the United States, Manitoba said in a statement to the CBC.
Asagwara said the province is currently speaking with more than a dozen doctors interested in the U.S. who are interested in taking the action.
They are also developing “in the U.S. recruitment campaign in the next few weeks.”
British Columbia also said it is focusing on the latest developments in the United States. A spokesperson for the Ministry of Health said in a statement that “what support will be provided” [it] It can be “to colleagues in the United States so they can continue their critical work. BC is also actively recruiting American health professionals.
In Toronto, the University Health Network will also announce its strategy to attract top scientists on Monday.
But other groups are trying to recruit the same scientists: Frieden, former CDC director, has offered fired government scientists a quote from the nonprofit he now runs, determined to save lives.
Local and state governments in the United States are also trying to Buy Federal workers were fired – not to mention universities around the world.
But Canada is in good shape in the game. “We have gone beyond research,” said Stephanie Michaud, CEO of Biocanrx, who is CEO of Research Network, which focuses on developing immunotherapies that fight cancer.” It received $40 million in federal funding between 2015 and 2019, and $109.5 million from others, such as industry partners, provinces and charities.
“We have great researchers and great clinicians working here,” she said.
What Canada can do better is to turn discoveries into treatments through clinical trials and ultimately turn discoveries into practice, she said.
“From the investment side, discovering discoveries and publishing them in Canadian laboratories and bringing them to clinical trials. That’s Canada [has] It was a tough time, she said.
As American scientists watch other countries continue their work, Canada addresses this weakness by listening to scientists and clinicians and investing in more research, an opportunity that is more attractive to top talent.
Canada has much less funding than per capita research. analyze From the Canadian Society of Neuroscience. From 2020 to 2021, NIH funded approximately $55.7 billion in CDN in its research. By comparison, the Canadian Institute of Health has funded $1.44 billion. Even considering that the U.S. population is about 9 times that of Canada, that is 39 times.
“I think we have all the right ingredients, we just need to put all of these pieces together,” Michaud said.
Increase research funding
Another strategy Canada may adopt can take: making it easier for researchers working in Canada to keep light in the lab, said Dr. William Ghali, vice president of research at the University of Calgary.
In Canada, if researchers receive federal grants, the government also set aside some funds to pay for hiring support staff, operating and maintaining labs, or paying for computers/data servers, etc.
But, according to Ghali, it pays to the university every year without being bound by any researcher or grants – and ultimately there isn’t enough money to cover everything that makes research possible.
Galley said this is a good time for Canada to rethink our approach. He said these overheads have a huge impact on researchers – ensuring good indirect funding will attract top talent outside of Canada.
This, in turn, will benefit all Canadians: Scientific growth leads to economic growth.
Research partnerships have changed
However, in order to support the sense of opportunity, there is also sadness.
But according to Galley, scientists who left the U.S. because they felt safe or had no support, which is sad, he said it felt like a blow to global cooperation.
Dr. Pai, director of McGill’s Global Health Program, said he was uncomfortable with the idea of poaching American scientists.
“American scientists should work in their own country, not leave their families, feel safe in their own country, and get enough funding [and] Respect and rewarded,” he wrote on the Blues.
But this is the new reality the world is estimating: America cannot rely on decades to fulfill its role. Economists are learning after the tariffs on “Liberation Day”. Scientists warn that the same course is waiting for health and medical research.
“Canada has the opportunity to reshape its global partnership, perhaps more closely linked to Europe, and perhaps become stronger in terms of cohesion within Canada,” Ghali said.
