"Biomedical science faces two critical questions in the 21st century. ... How do we ensure that our enormous investment in biomedical research makes a difference for the safety as well as for the health of ordinary people? ... In this new world, it is clear that science must follow new directions. ... The events of the past few months have dramatically illustrated that our strongest defense against bioterrorism of any kind must be at the local level.
... [T]he other, older question: How do we apply science to health? ... We also need to ask: Who will translate the research results into diagnostic tools and lifesaving treatments? ... Whether the battle is against cancer or bioterrorism, there are doors for which we have not yet found the keys. We must open those doors carefully, never letting our science get ahead of our ethics. ... [I]f citizens are educated about where we are going in genetic research, about the way anthrax and smallpox work, and about the promise of stem cells, they will make better decisions for their families, their communities, and their nation."

Donna Shalala, president of the University of Miami, is a former US Secretary of Health and Human Services.