Brain Scientists at National Institutes of Health Receive Layoff Notices
Some of the best brain scientists from the National Institutes of Health received layoff notices weeks before the Secretary for Health and Human Services, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announced the cuts. The researchers were asked to continue working in the laboratories for a few more weeks, but their knowledge of discharge has not been canceled.
Impact on Researchers
Most people believe that they have been rehired because they returned to the office, said one of the scientists who spoke on the condition of anonymity. However, this is not the case for all researchers. Eleven laboratories with around 100 employees, mainly young trainees, have been affected, and their careers are being strongly interrupted.
Notable Researchers Affected
Richard Youle, one of the released scientists, has been working at the NIH since 1978 and is a Distinguished Investigator, a title reserved for the agency’s most outstanding researchers. He was the winner of the $3 million Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences in 2021 for his research on Parkinson’s disease. Youle’s research has been praised as "fundamentally important" and has paved the way for new treatments for Parkinson’s disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.
Other Affected Researchers
Ten other senior investigators, including Miguel Holmgren, Steve Jacobson, Dorian McGafer, Joseph Mindell, Katherine Roche, Zu-Hang Sheng, David R. Sibley, Kenton Swartz, Susan Wray, and Ling Gang Wu, have also been let go from NINDS. Silvina Horowitz, a senior associate scientist at NINDS, has also received a notice of discharge.
Contradictory Statements
Kennedy had told a Senate health committee that the only cuts they had made so far were "administrative cuts" and that no working scientists had been laid off. However, this claim has been disputed by the NIH scientists who have received layoff notices. The NIH director, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, and leaders of the department were made aware of the layoffs weeks ago, but the scientists have not yet received any letters revoking their "reduction in force" or RIF notices.
Comparison with Other Agencies
The layoffs at the NIH are different from similar layoffs that were revoked weeks ago at the Food and Drug Administration and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The CDC has also lost many scientists in their National Center for Environmental Health, which was responsible for a number of work on lead poisoning and illness outbreaks on cruise ships.
Response from the Department
When asked about the employment status of NIH and NIOSH scientists who received the layoff notices, a spokesman for the department referred to Kennedy’s comments on the Senate hearing about the layoffs. However, Kennedy’s claim that no working scientists have been released has been disputed by other dismissed scientists from several health authorities.
