Nina C. Christie | PhD, MPH

Full Committee Markup of Defense and Labor, Health and Human Services, and Education Appropriations Acts | United States Senate Committee on Appropriations United States Senate Committee on Appropriations

🧪 Senate appropriators say: NIH's budget gets a... boost!

Rather than 40% cut, NIH gets a $400M *increase* in the Senate committee bill for FY26 (about +1%).

"Congress has your back," said @murray.senate.gov.

ADVOCACY MATTERS! There's still a long road (esp in the House), so keep up pressure.

Shouting from the rooftops again:

Cutting research grants means the loss of that potential knowledge, yes.

But most of the money in a grant supports JOBS. Your local university losing grants means your community losing prosperity. It means your kid having to take more loans for school.

Your dedication and the care you show through this program have helped me tremendously during a difficult time. I am genuinely grateful for everything you’ve done for me since the survey began. Your efforts are appreciated more than words can say.

Thank you again for all that you do.

The Amazon gift cards I received for participating in the survey each week made a real difference in my life. They allowed me to purchase the necessities I needed to get by, and that support meant more to me than I can truly express.

Participating in your nightly survey has been more than just a routine for me it’s been a lifeline. Living in a sober living community and facing weeks of financial hardship while searching for a job has been incredibly challenging.

Hi Nina,

I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for the survey program you run and the support you provide to people in early recovery like myself.

Hi Nina, I hope this message finds you well. I wanted to take a moment to express my deepest gratitude for the survey program you run and the support you provide to people in early recovery like myself. Participating in your nightly survey has been more than just a routine for me it’s been a lifeline. Living in a sober living community and facing weeks of financial hardship while searching for a job has been incredibly challenging. The Amazon gift cards I received for participating in the survey each week made a real difference in my life. They allowed me to purchase the necessities I needed to get by, and that support meant more to me than I can truly express. Your dedication and the care you show through this program have helped me tremendously during a difficult time. I am genuinely grateful for everything you’ve done for me since the survey began. Your efforts are appreciated more than words can say. Thank you again for all that you do. With sincere appreciation,

Getting this unprompted email from a participant absolutely made my day and gave me a much needed reminder on the role of research in participants' lives, even from something as simple as a daily diary study. Posting with permission from a participant:

BREAKING: Scientists are staging a “science fair” in the lobby of a Congressional building to tell elected officials about the critical knowledge the US will lose because their research grants have been canceled.

In light of recent cuts to funding for HIV prevention, I was re-listening to the Rent soundtrack, and then picked up the novel Four Squares. Both tell human stories of the AIDS crisis in the 80s. Now, I’m thinking about what folks learned then so we can build support for trust in public health now.

My first RSA was a whirlwind! 3 highlights to share: discussing the importance of AA meeting quality for recovery, the mindfulness based relapse prevention workshop by @katiew.bsky.social & @monizlewis.bsky.social, and being a mentee of @katiew.bsky.social who received the Marlatt Mentorship Award!

I am really excited to publish this work from my dissertation which shows that positive social experiences are perceived as especially protective – and negative ones as especially risky – for relapse risk. Fostering positive social connections is crucial, keep on connecting!

Truly incredible statement on current affairs directly from NIH employees.
How can you demonstrate your support? Here is a link to sign in support of science and the Bethesda Declaration here: www.standupforscience.net/bethesda-dec...

@standupforscience.bsky.social @sufsnewmexico.bsky.social @sciencehomecoming.bsky.social
@scholars.org

Cassie said it best in yet another great piece in the ABQ Journal from addiction scientists: "We owe it to every person struggling with substance use, and their families, to act now to save the very infrastructure that saves families from unnecessary suffering." Check it out here:

Absolutely worth the two minute listen! What we are facing now with the proposed cuts to NIH is not a 5-year problem, but a 10-year, 20-year, 30-year problem

Trump’s Funding Cuts Jeopardize Fentanyl Overdose Prevention and Recovery - Drug Policy Alliance Q&A: How do Trump's and Congress's proposed federal funding cuts threaten overdose treatment access and other health services?

Only 100 days into his presidency, the Trump admin & Congress are scaling back support for health services that prevent overdose & offer a path to recovery. With $1.5 trillion in cuts still on the table, we continue to fight for care. Learn more: drugpolicy.org/news/trumps-...

Why Has America Ignored Its Best Addiction Treatment? Buprenorphine can stop cravings for opioids, yet its uptake in the U.S. has stagnated.

Great article by @ethanbrooks.bsky.social about the underutilization of buprenorphine. Mallory's story highlights the benefits of this treatment for opioid addiction, while her brother's illustrates our failures in the treatment sector.
www.theatlantic.com/health/archi...

OPINION: Why we all need to stand up for science You’ve seen the news, right? The infrastructure that supports American science is being dismantled. Beyond what we will lose, I find myself mourning who we will lose.

www.abqjournal.com/opinion/arti...

OPINION: Why you do everything right and it still ends up wrong In 2015, I graduated college with a degree in psychology and I wanted to conduct research to reduce health disparities. First, I needed more research experience if I wanted to

@faheypsych.bsky.social www.abqjournal.com/opinion/arti...

“Either way, they will use. And so, probably, would you:” A critical discourse analysis of harm reduction portrayal in United States opinion news media Opioid overdose deaths are declining in the United States for the first time in over five years. These reductions are partially attributed to increasi…

Op-eds influence public opinion, which can influence policy. In a paper led by @hannahcarlon.bsky.social, we looked at how harm reduction is portrayed in op-eds. Most used evidence-based reasons to support opioid harm reduction. Write what you know, it matters! www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...

Writing to your neighbors about your science is a critical skill! The time is now to advocate for the health of your community, for your community. @standupforscience.bsky.social @sufsnewmexico.bsky.social

Lots of news today - my op-ed is now out in the Albuquerque Journal. Science is for all. Let's take a stand, together! #StandUpForScience

@standupforscience.bsky.social @sufsnewmexico.bsky.social @wearehighered.bsky.social @insidehighered.com @govmlg.bsky.social

I must acknowledge that I absolutely stole this joke straight from you haha

News from yesterday's UNM rally supported by @standupforscience.bsky.social with @faheypsych.bsky.social @matwmccool.bsky.social and @monizlewis.bsky.social! Great shot of Ikela speaking (feat. me in the background taking videos as if I'm Regina George's mom) @insidehighered.com

Inspiring to see Kalina speak today at the Higher Education day of action! Hope to see you all at the next event with @sufsnewmexico.bsky.social @standupforscience.bsky.social

@standupforscience.bsky.social @sufsnewmexico.bsky.social

Addiction science needs your support! Please read the statement of concern and consider signing as an individual or (if applicable) as an organization. Scroll to the bottom of the webpage and click the box that says "individual endorsement" or "organizational endorsement".

The Promise of American Higher Education No government—regardless of which party is in power—should dictate what private universities can teach, whom they can admit and hire, and which areas of study and inquiry they can pursue

Hoping to see even more universities stand up like this: "The university will not surrender its independence or relinquish its constitutional rights. Neither Harvard nor any other private university can allow itself to be taken over by the federal government." www.harvard.edu/president/ne...

Coauthors: Hannah Hebden, @feliciatuchman.bsky.social, @monizlewis.bsky.social, @cassie-boness.bsky.social, @katiew.bsky.social, & Margo Hurlocker

The main topics covered in the supportive pieces included that harm reduction strategies are 1) evidence-based, 2) do not increase crime, 3) decrease stigma and systemic oppression, and 4) that policy change is needed to improve implementation.