Comment from Cynthia McCollough

[200.202(e), 200.220] To Whom it May Concern: I am a full professor of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering and a leading researcher in advanced medical imaging. I am writing in my personal capacity to oppose the proposed revisions to sections 200.202(e) and 200.220 that would restrict international scientific collaboration and isolate American scientists. I have been collaborating with a leading manufacturer of medical imaging devices based in Germany for over 25 years. Through this collaboration, I have brought to the U.S. the first CT scanners to image the heart with 65 milliseconds temporal resolution, which has made stop-motion imaging of the coronary arteries possible. I also worked with this company to develop in my lab the first photon counting CT scanner, which is revolutionizing medical imaging and allowing us to visualize the smallest bones in the human body. These advances are helping diagnose disease and guide cures for American citizens and residents. Limiting international collaboration would limit access to life-saving technologies developed outside of the U.S. and force Americans to leave the country for the best medical care. International scientific infrastructures such as the high-energy physics lab CERN - home of the internet - would no longer be allowed and America would fall far behind in many areas of physics research, including medical imaging research that is based at CERN. America does not have a monopoly on intelligence, technical skills, or technology development and the inability to collaborate with the international scientific community will isolate America and leave it behind on the world stage when it comes to medical care and technology.