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My Oma’s story and why addiction research funding matters

May 26, 2025

Commentary; By Anna Porter




The article reads:


"I began studying addiction because of my grandmother, my “Oma.”


She immigrated to the United States from Germany when she was just 15, determined to build a better life. She worked long hours at difficult jobs so she could put my dad and his half-sister through private school, a decision that likely paved the way for my own educational journey.


Growing up, I adored spending time with her. One of my favorite memories of my Oma is digging for “treasure” in her backyard. My siblings and I would be constantly amazed by our discoveries: old coins, trinkets, costume jewelry. After her death, I learned she used to secretly bury those items before our visits, just to make our childhood adventures more magical. That was who she was: joyful, creative, nurturing. She was one of the most loving and influential adults in my life.


She also struggled with addiction.


Her substance use created long stretches of absence. There were months, and even years, when I couldn’t see or speak to her. Her addiction didn’t define her, but it did complicate our relationship. It ultimately took her life when I was just 15.


I miss her every day.


Her life and death are what inspired me to pursue addiction research. Today, I’m a Ph.D. candidate in clinical psychology, studying how impulsivity increases risk for alcohol use problems. I’m proud to be part of a scientific field that offers hope, healing and lifesaving interventions for people struggling with addiction. I think my Oma would be proud of me, too.


But that work is under threat.


Federal institutions such as the National Institutes of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration are facing severe budget and personnel cuts. These agencies are the backbone of addiction science. Without them, researchers lose essential funding, communities lose vital prevention and treatment programs, and families like mine suffer the consequences.


In Missouri alone, we average more than 1,500 overdose deaths every year. Overdose deaths have increased by nearly 5% annually over the last three years. Yet the proposed 2026 federal budget includes a staggering 40% cut to the NIH. That would be catastrophic, not just for researchers like me, but for the people behind the numbers: parents, children, siblings and grandparents whose lives depend on effective treatment and prevention strategies.


The time to act is now. Scientists and researchers cannot protect this work alone. We need our communities to stand with us and raise their voices.


My Oma deserved access to better treatment. So do thousands of others.


Please, contact your elected representatives. Tell them that addiction research is not expendable. It’s essential. Lives are on the line."



Anna Porter of Columbia is a Ph.D. student studying clinical psychology at the University of Missouri.





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