Biomedical research

Can biomedical researchers remain independent and objective when their financial support comes from corporations with something to gain from the results of the research? Does collaboration with business induce universities to compromise their basic principles? What does society stand to gain or lose by the practice of corporate-funded academic research? In Biomedical Research: Collaboration and Conflict of Interest, Roger Porter, Thomas Malone, and their coauthors examine the great promise as well as the potential problems inherent in the growing cooperation between academia and industry. They demonstrate the ways in which biomedical research is vital to the nation's health and economy and explain who is paying for it now. From the university's perspective, they describe the nature of collaborative research and analyze how such collaborations actually work in practice. They then identify the primary source of friction in these relationships--conflict of interest--and discuss the many ways to control it. Finally, they examine the issues from the viewpoint of distinguished members of government and industry. As budget crises force governments to cut funding for science and academic institutions, corporate contributions to universities are becoming increasingly important. This book brings together much-needed information on an issue with serious implications for our own health--and our nation's.