U.S. Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) on Jan. 5 hosted Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), to Bucks County, Pa., for a visit to the Hepatitis B Foundation, the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, and the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center (PABC).
The three nationally recognized nonprofit institutions have long stood at the forefront of biomedical discovery, the advancement of public health, and the development of lifesaving treatments.
“Today’s visit was about stewardship — ensuring that national research priorities and funding decisions are guided by institutions that have earned the country’s trust through results, integrity, and impact over time,” Rep. Fitzpatrick said on Monday.
“I am grateful to Lou Kassa and the teams across PABC, the Hepatitis B Foundation, and the Blumberg Institute for their leadership and vision, and to Dr. Bhattacharya for his partnership,” added the congressman. “I look forward to continuing this work together so that PA-1 remains a place where American biomedical leadership is not only strengthened — but sustained.”
A long-time partner of all three organizations, Rep. Fitzpatrick arranged the visit and accompanied Dr. Bhattacharya throughout the PABC campus as part of the congressman’s efforts to protect stable and reliable NIH funding.
“This campus has never been peripheral to American biomedical progress — it has helped carry it forward for generations,” said Rep. Fitzpatrick. “For decades, the Hepatitis B Foundation, the Baruch S. Blumberg Institute, and the Pennsylvania Biotechnology Center have applied scientific excellence and innovation in the service of public health — turning discovery into cures and research into public good.”
During the visit, Fitzpatrick and Dr. Bhattacharya toured research laboratories and met with scientists conducting NIH-funded translational research focused on hepatitis B, liver disease, and cancer.
They also participated in a roundtable discussion with leaders from the host institutions and biotechnology companies operating on campus to discuss drug development and related research that’s under way across nearly 60 companies based at PABC, much of it made possible through sustained NIH investment, according to Rep. Fitzpatrick’s staff.
The visit underscored the critical role regional research hubs like PABC play in advancing national biomedical priorities and translating federally funded science into real-world treatments.
“The PA Biotechnology Center is a unique biomedical ecosystem that brings together brilliant scientists to address scientific questions from the basic understanding of disease to drug discovery,” said Dr. Bhattacharya. “I appreciate Rep. Fitzpatrick organizing this tour and bringing me to the PABC.”
Louis Kassa, CEO of the three nonprofits and president of the PABC, also thanked the congressman for his continued partnership, as well as the opportunity to have “a productive conversation” about the federal government’s role in supporting scientific innovation and the translation of discovery into treatments and cures.