James Antaki, a biomedical engineering professor at Cornell University, received a promising $6.7 million grant from the Department of Defense aimed at advancing his project, PediaFlow, which enhances blood flow for infants with heart defects. This funding was crucial, as approximately one in 100 babies in the U.S. is born with such defects, and many require immediate surgical attention. However, a week later, on April 8, the Defense Department issued a stop-work order, abruptly halting the funding and leaving Antaki and his three decades of research at risk.
Antaki expressed a deep commitment to his project, highlighting the emotional toll of facing the potential need to abandon it. The grant cancellation reflects larger issues within U.S. academic funding under the Trump administration, characterized by new executive orders and significant cutbacks from the Department of Government Efficiency led by Elon Musk.
Despite previous successful grants from agencies like the National Institutes of Health, Antaki’s project has faced funding challenges, exacerbated by the limited market for pediatric medical devices. His innovative PediaFlow device, the size of an AA battery, uses a rotating magnet propeller to help sustain blood flow in infants, which could be life-saving until a heart transplant becomes available.
Dr. Evan Zahn, a pediatric cardiologist, lamented the funding loss as detrimental to healthcare advancements for children, noting the urgent need for specifically tailored technology. Without restored funding in 90 days, Antaki faces layoffs and the need for his Ph.D. students to shift their research focus. He stresses that the grant represents a small investment with the potential for significant impact on lives.
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