Connecticut labs could lose $200 million for cancer, diabetes and Alzheimer’s research if the Trump administration’s cuts to medical research grants go through, Yale School of Medicine said on Thursday.

The cuts could also mean life or death for patients like Conner Curran, a Ridgefield teenager with a rare form of muscular dystrophy.

When Curran was 4 years old, his parents got the news that would change their lives forever.

He has Duchenne muscular dystrophy, a disease that gradually eats away muscle protein.

“It was devastating and heartbreaking news,” said Curran’s father, Chris.

But a decade later, Curran is beating the odds because of an experimental gene therapy funded by the National Institutes of Health.

“He’s still walking today at 14 years old because he received that groundbreaking, NIH-funded, gene therapy,” Chris Curran said.

But NIH grants are now being slashed as part of the Trump administration’s plan to cut up to $2 trillion in federal spending over the next decade.

“It’s our goal to reduce the size and scale of this government across every agency,” said White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt. “Which is why you’ve seen very strong and quick actions taken to reduce the amount of money that federal taxpayers are paying on a system that is failing them and their families.”

The administration’s policy would cut funding for indirect research costs from the current 27% to 28% average to 15%. NIH estimates that the move could save $4 billion a year.

In Connecticut, Yale could lose $165 million and the University of Connecticut could lose $35 million.

“Our researchers are pioneers in areas such as gene editing, neuroscience, diabetes treatment, cancer vaccines and immunotherapy,” said Dr. Nancy Brown, dean of Yale School of Medicine.

But it’s not just about curing diseases. In 2023, government-funded research pumped $1.68 billion into Connecticut's economy, generating 6,609 jobs.

Last week, a federal judge temporarily blocked the cuts. But that is no guarantee the money will start flowing again.

“My fear is that this president may say he’s just going to disobey the courts, which would create a confrontation we haven't seen in our country before,” said Sen. Richard Blumenthal.

Conner Curran doesn’t care about the politics. He just wants his doctors to find a cure.

“I’d like to thank you for helping me with research,” he told them.

Conner’s parents want him to have a future.

“He wants to have a family,” said his mother, Jessica. “And I think that’s really possible.”

But is it possible without government research funding? Yale leaders said disease research often takes years to turn to a profit, making it difficult to perform without NIH help.

“Conner wants to pursue his dreams. Conner wants to attend college,” Chris Curran said. “Without this NIH research funding, you know, Conner might not have that chance.”