Last week U.S. Senator Amy Klobuchar and U.S. Secretary of Health and Human Services Sylvia Mathews Burwell highlighted the cuttingedge medical research underway in Minnesota during visits to the Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota. Klobuchar and Burwell also hosted a roundtable discussion featuring medical experts from across the state.

In Minnesota, researchers and medical professionals are working hard to treat and cure life-threatening diseases through innovative approaches such as using precision medicine to find the most effective treatments for each individual patient, mapping the human brain to discover a cure for diseases like Alzheimer’s, and employing telehealth technology to help bring the best care to all regardless of where they live.

Klobuchar and Burwell visited the Center for Magnetic Resonance Research (CMRR) at the University of Minnesota and the Biobank at the Mayo Clinic to highlight the importance of investing in medical research.

“Minnesota has world-class medical facilities, and I was honored to show Health and Human Services Secretary Burwell many of the ways we are making strides towards treating and curing life-threatening diseases,” said Klobuchar. “The United States must remain on the cutting edge of health care innovation by supporting approaches like precision medicine, which tailors health care to a person’s genes, environment, and lifestyle in order to better treat and prevent disease. By investing in the vital medical research happening in Minnesota and across the country, we can reduce suffering and save lives.”

“I’m pleased to visit a state that is a leader in innovation across the board, from health care to medical research, as we saw today at the Mayo Clinic and the University of Minnesota,” said Secretary Burwell. “HHS is committed to taking steps to put patients at the center of their health care by pioneering a new model of research to accelerate biomedical discoveries and provide clinicians with the tools to best serve their patients.”

Klobuchar has long prioritized investing in medical research and the work of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Earlier this year, she cosponsored the American Cures Act, a bill that would authorize an additional investment of five percent per year at the NIH, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and other research institutes.