A physiologist in Africa: lending a hand in developing countries.

With the passing of the presidential campaign of 1988, the American public and the Bush administration have come to the realization that the country has major problems. The agenda for addressing these problems will be set during the first few months of 1989. Will the Bush administration or Congress set the agenda for the coming year? This question will be addressed as we watch the play of personalities on Capitol Hill. For the scientific community, a major agenda item is funding for biomedical research and President Bush’s pledge to become an education president. As expressed by Education Secretary Lauro Cavazos, a physiologist, deficiencies in the science and math education of our students can be blamed in part on inadequate instructional time, poor textbooks, and improperly trained teachers. In addition, he has indicated that students do not receive enough hands-on laboratory experience. The agenda to be set for science cannot only be restricted to the education of students in grades K through 12. The agenda must also address the issue of predoctoral and postdoctoral training through the support of federal agencies. Future biomedical scientists receive training support either as National Institutes of Health (NIH) Research Fellows or as staff on research grants. Unfortunately, neither 1989 nor 1990,