Letter to the editor: US must focus on research

This month marks an important date for the scientific community across the globe. The Nobel Prizes will be announced in Stockholm Oct. 7-14.

The United States has amassed many of these prizes, with more than 300 laureates scattered across the country in some of the most prestigious institutes.

Without research, there can be no innovations or breakthrough discoveries that play a pivotal role in world economy.

Moving into the 21st century, many Asian countries have progressed in sciences and have emerged as global leaders in research. Inevitably, this will tip the balance of the Nobel Prize itself, undergoing a global shift from West to the East.

The United States for many decades has dominated the sciences, but is now showing signs of diminished research performance.

Our academic institutes share a similar fate; hence, it is highly imperative that our nation, with all its potential, shift its focus on research so we can win back the sciences and stimulate industrial innovation, ensuring a sustainable future for job growth.

Nayyar Ahmed

Monroeville

The writer is an assistant professor of biology at at University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg.