{"id":3213,"date":"2025-05-26T15:12:13","date_gmt":"2025-05-26T15:12:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/healthyretirementnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/26\/nih-staff-stage-walkout-during-directors-town-hall-as-tensions-persist-over-research-cuts-ideology\/"},"modified":"2025-05-26T15:12:13","modified_gmt":"2025-05-26T15:12:13","slug":"nih-staff-stage-walkout-during-directors-town-hall-as-tensions-persist-over-research-cuts-ideology","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/healthyretirementnews.com\/index.php\/2025\/05\/26\/nih-staff-stage-walkout-during-directors-town-hall-as-tensions-persist-over-research-cuts-ideology\/","title":{"rendered":"NIH staff stage walkout during director\u2019s town hall as tensions persist over research cuts, ideology"},"content":{"rendered":"<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/action-bar\/instances\/cmb3vvrca006f27p1bx6p6s7s@published\" data-label-id-prefix=\"action-bar-start-of-article\" class=\"action-bar\" 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class=\"social-share_labelled-list__share-links--label\">Tweet<\/span>        <\/button>                                        <span class=\"social-share_labelled-list__share-links--label\">Email<\/span>                <button class=\"social-share_labelled-list__share\" data-url=\"https:\/\/www.cnn.com\/2025\/05\/26\/health\/nih-town-hall-walkout\" data-type=\"copy\" aria-label=\"copy link to clipboard\" title=\"Copy link to clipboard\">                                <span class=\"social-share_labelled-list__share-links--label\">Link<\/span>        <\/button>        <\/p>\n<div class=\"social-share_labelled-list__copied\" data-type=\"message\">                        Link Copied!        <\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>    <button class=\"social-share_labelled-list__open\" data-type=\"open\" aria-label=\"open social share\" title=\"Open social share\">            <\/button>    <button class=\"social-share_labelled-list__close\" data-type=\"close\" aria-label=\"close social share\" title=\"Close social share\">            <\/button><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"action-bar__buttons\">            <button class=\"action-bar__button\" data-title=\"follow\">                                        Follow            <\/button>            <button class=\"action-bar__button\" data-title=\"share options\">                                <\/button>    <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vvrca006h27p1a5rq527a@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Twenty-seven minutes into a town hall with staff last week, US National Institutes of Health Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya acknowledged that he was going to get into uncomfortable territory.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7f0002356mr9ueuz0a@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThis one\u2019s a tough one for me,\u201d Bhattacharya told the audience of researchers and other NIH employees gathered in an auditorium at the biomedical research agency\u2019s headquarters in Bethesda, Maryland, last Monday, before introducing one of the most divisive topics in science.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g0004356m3shl8w9v@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            At that point, Bhattacharya paused to watch as dozens of NIH staffers stood and filed out of the auditorium.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g0005356m92za92bu@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cIt\u2019s nice to have free speech,\u201d he said with a smile. \u201cWelcome, you guys.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g0006356mxryff1w0@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Bhattacharya then persisted.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g0007356mb3bhx63p@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cIf it\u2019s true that we sponsored research that caused a pandemic \u2013 and if you look at polls of the American people, that\u2019s what most people believe, and I looked at the scientific evidence; I believe it \u2013 what we have to do is make sure that we do not engage in research that\u2019s any risk of posing any risk to human populations,\u201d he said.    <\/p>\n<p>&lt;div data-uri=&quot;cms.cnn.com\/_components\/video-resource\/instances\/cmb51j3ec000f3b6mw329o97f@published&quot; data-component-name=&quot;video-resource&quot; data-editable=&quot;settings&quot; class=&quot;video-resource-elevate&quot; data-fixed-ratio=&quot;16&#215;9&quot; data-parent-uri=&quot;cms.cnn.com\/_components\/video-resource\/instances\/cmb514yhx00003b6kerwpw4mh@published&quot; data-video-id=&quot;me6f748c2078be7a2605837b6f78c8161027eb1eb4&quot; data-media-id=&quot;me6f748c2078be7a2605837b6f78c8161027eb1eb4&quot; data-live=&quot;&quot; data-analytics-aggregate-events=&quot;true&quot; data-custom-experience=&quot;&quot; data-asset-type=&quot;hlsTs&quot; data-auth-type=&quot;none&quot; data-content-type=&quot;mediasource-clip&quot; data-medium-env=&quot;&quot; data-autostart=&quot;unmuted&quot; data-show-ads=&quot;true&quot; data-source=&quot;CNN&quot; data-featured-video=&quot;true&quot; data-headline=&quot;Walkout during NIH director&#039;s town hall&quot; data-has-video-player=&quot;true&quot; data-description=&quot;<\/p>\n<p>Dozens of NIH staffers walked out of a town hall with Dr. Jay Bhattacharya earlier this month.<\/p>\n<p>&#8221; data-duration=&#8221;01:08&#8243; data-source-html=&#8221;<span class=\"&quot;video-resource__source&quot;\"> &#8211; Source:                            <a target=\"&quot;_self&quot;\" href=\"\/\/www.cnn.com\/&quot;\" class=\"&quot;video-resource__source-url&quot;\">CNN<\/a>    <\/span>&#8221; data-fave-thumbnails=&#8221;{&quot;big&quot;: { &quot;uri&quot;: &quot;https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/02-screen-shot-2025-05-25-at-8-00-20-pm.jpg?c=16&#215;9&quot; }, &quot;small&quot;: { &quot;uri&quot;: &quot;https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/02-screen-shot-2025-05-25-at-8-00-20-pm.jpg?c=16&#215;9&quot; }  }&#8221; data-vr-video=&#8221;false&#8221; data-show-html=&#8221;<!-- unable to render partial show without a supplied context -->&#8221; data-byline-html=&#8221;<\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"&quot;cms.cnn.com\/_components\/byline\/instances\/cmb514ylj00033b6kqxz4ip1u@published&quot;\" data-component-name=\"&quot;byline&quot;\" class=\"&quot;byline-elevate\" data-editable=\"&quot;settings&quot;\"><\/div>\n<p>&#8221; data-timestamp-html=&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"&quot;timestamp-elevate\" data-uri=\"&quot;cms.cnn.com\/_components\/timestamp\/instances\/cmb514yli00023b6k8891r9md@published&quot;\" data-editable=\"&quot;settings&quot;\">\n<div class=\"&quot;timestamp__container&quot;\">              <span class=\"&quot;timestamp__time-since&quot;\" data-first-publish=\"&quot;2025-05-26T12:00:13.902Z&quot;\" data-last-publish=\"&quot;2025-05-26T12:00:13.902Z&quot;\"><\/span>              <span class=\"&quot;timestamp__expand-btn&quot;\"><\/span>          <\/div>\n<div class=\"&quot;timestamp__details&quot;\">\n<div class=\"&quot;timestamp__published&quot;\">PUBLISHED May 26, 2025, 8:00 AM ET<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>&#8221; data-check-event-based-preview=&#8221;&#8221; data-is-vertical-video-embed=&#8221;false&#8221; data-network-id=&#8221;&#8221; data-publish-date=&#8221;2025-05-26T13:07:41.472Z&#8221; data-video-section=&#8221;health&#8221; data-canonical-url=&#8221;&#8221; data-branding-key=&#8221;&#8221; data-video-slug=&#8221;walkout-during-nih-directors-town-hall&#8221; data-first-publish-slug=&#8221;walkout-during-nih-directors-town-hall&#8221; data-video-tags=&#8221;health,nih,jay bhattacharya&#8221; data-breakpoints=&#8221;{&quot;video-resource&#8211;media-extra-large&quot;: 660}&#8221; data-display-video-cover=&#8221;true&#8221; data-details=&#8221;&#8221;&gt;                                        <\/p>\n<div class=\"ad-feedback-link-container\">\n<div data-ad-type=\"VIDEO\" data-ad-identifier=\"\" class=\"ad-feedback-link\">\n<div class=\"ad-feedback-link__label\">Video Ad Feedback<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"video-resource__details\">\n<div data-editable=\"headline\" class=\"video-resource__headline inline-placeholder\">Walkout during NIH director&#8217;s town hall                <\/div>\n<div class=\"video-resource__credit\">                            <span class=\"video-resource__duration\">                                1:08                            <\/span>                            <span class=\"video-resource__source\"> &#8211; Source:                            CNN    <\/span>                    <\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"video-resource__cover\">\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cmb514ylq00043b6krnwmto19@published\" class=\"image-elevate image__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-name=\"02_Screen-Shot-2025-05-25-at-8.00.20-PM.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.5625\" data-original-height=\"900\" data-original-width=\"1600\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/02-screen-shot-2025-05-25-at-8-00-20-pm.jpg?c=original\" data-unselectable=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image__container \" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image__metadata\"><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"video-resource__overlay\">\n<div class=\"video-resource__controls\">\n<div class=\"video-resource__playhead spinner\">                                    <\/div>\n<div class=\"video-resource__info\">\n<div class=\"video-resource__chyron-wrapper invisible\">\n<div class=\"video-resource__chyron\">Walkout during NIH director&#8217;s town hall<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"video-resource__runtime\">1:08     <span class=\"video-resource__source\">    <\/span> <\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g0008356mtxkro3kx@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The walkout was a gentle protest, one Bhattacharya \u2013 a former Stanford professor of health policy and economics<strong> <\/strong>who frequently claimed to have been censored during the Covid-19 pandemic for communicating views in opposition with those held by US scientific leadership at the time \u2013 referred to later in the town hall as \u201csilent dissent.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g0009356m0rqvb0rn@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            It represented not just disagreement with \u2013 and dismay over \u2013 Bhattacharya\u2019s assertion that the NIH may bear some responsibility for the pandemic, which killed more than 7 million people worldwide, by sponsoring so-called gain-of-function research that created the SARS-CoV-2 virus that then leaked from a lab. That\u2019s a view not shared by a large number<em> <\/em>of expert virologists and epidemiologists, who think it\u2019s more likely the virus emerged via a spillover from animals.    <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"subheader inline-placeholder subheader-elevate\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/subheader\/instances\/cmb3w5uff001c356m3quc4tm5@published\" data-component-name=\"subheader\" id=\"disruptions-to-research\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">        Disruptions to research<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g000d356mzna5sbto@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Hajdarovic and others described issues obtaining materials for research because the people who do the purchasing had been dismissed; the firings and rehirings of scientist colleagues; the fear of a proposed 40% cut to the NIH budget; and general chaos and unpredictability that are disruptive to their day-to-day jobs.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g000e356man3572ao@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cWe were trying to use this walkout as a way to get a sit-down meeting with Dr. Bhattacharya,\u201d said Dr. Matt Manion, another NIH postdoctoral researcher and union member. \u201cWe\u2019ve asked at least twice since he took over the role.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g000f356mz8org3zi@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The union members, joined by others at the agency, had planned to leave the town hall at the start of Bhattacharya\u2019s time answering pre-submitted questions, added Dr. Matthew Brown, a third union member and postdoctoral fellow. Bhattacharya and his chief of staff, Seana Cranston, noted several times that about 1,200 questions had been submitted and that they\u2019d chosen the \u201chard ones\u201d to answer.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g000g356m0v1bmsvj@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cHaving these sort of preplanned town halls is not a substitute for actually sitting down with scientists who will do the research that improves the health of the American public,\u201d Brown said.    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/related-content\/instances\/cmb50nret00043b6mnty9s9nr@published\" data-component-name=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content-elevate related-content--article\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n<header class=\"related-content__title related-content__title-text\" data-editable=\"content.title\">Related article<\/header>\n<section class=\"related-content__body\">\n<div class=\"related-content__image image__related-content\">\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cmamver1r002827m4232w2wqn@published\" class=\"image-elevate image__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-name=\"Natalie Phelps with her two children and husband.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.9410807291666666\" data-original-height=\"2891\" data-original-width=\"3072\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/natalie-phelps-with-her-two-children-and-husband.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image__container \" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image__metadata-container media__metadata-container\">\n<div class=\"image__metadata media__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">Natalie Phelps, who has stage IV colorectal cancer, is worried about the future of her immunotherapy clinical trial at the NIH.<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image__credit\">Courtesy Natalie Phelps<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"related-content__headline\">        <span class=\"related-content__headline-text\" data-editable=\"content.headline\">After NIH staffing cuts, cancer patient in clinical trial worries she may lose crucial time<\/span>      <\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb4eg24l00003b6mxd5sbxqa@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Brown countered that the group\u2019s dissent \u201cis based on the tremendous damage that has been done to taxpayer-funded biomedical research over the past four months. Protecting our research into diseases like cancer, diabetes, and Alzheimer\u2019s deserves more than a short question and answer session.\u201d    <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"subheader inline-placeholder subheader-elevate\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/subheader\/instances\/cmb3wdpwl001e356mpmk3xbal@published\" data-component-name=\"subheader\" id=\"asking-for-another-pandemic\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">        \u2018Asking for another pandemic\u2019<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g000i356m7n7mzqsg@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Still, although the walkout was planned for a different reason, the gain-of-function comments didn\u2019t go over well. One NIH scientist tied the comments to a new policy that says the agency will prohibit foreign subaward grants, or research funding arrangements in which a grant recipient passes on some of the funding to foreign collaborators; the White House budget proposal for fiscal year 2026 cited NIH\u2019s funding of research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology as part of its reasoning for a proposed nearly $18 billion cut to the NIH\u2019s budget.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g000j356mvnsqbtbs@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThe notion that you can use the lab leak theory as justification to cancel all foreign subawards is ridiculous,\u201d said the scientist, who requested anonymity for fear of reprisal. \u201cThey are doing it purely for political and\/or ideological reasons.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g000k356mmpp09r8w@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cWhether or not you agree with the theory, foreign subawards support research to prevent the next pandemic,\u201d the scientist added. \u201cCanceling them all at once with little to no warning is asking for another pandemic.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vvu6q0000356mlcsijt7z@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            A spokesman for HHS said, \u201cNIH is transitioning from foreign subawards to foreign subprojects to ensure that all recipients of American taxpayer dollars\u2014whether domestic or international\u2014are held to the same rigorous standards of oversight, accountability, and transparency.\u201d    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cmb4e9nrz00063b6mcz88si4d@published\" class=\"image_large-elevate image_large__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image_large\" data-name=\"AP25132600863548.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_large--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_large--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_large--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.6666666666666666\" data-original-height=\"2000\" data-original-width=\"3000\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/ap25132600863548.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n<div class=\"image_large__container \" data-image-variation=\"image_large\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image_large--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image_large--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image_large--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image_large__metadata-container media__metadata-container\">\n<div class=\"image_large__metadata media__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image_large__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health, speaks as President Donald Trump listens during an event at the White House this month.<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image_large__credit\">Mark Schiefelbein\/AP<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g000m356mf41j209i@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            There were other points of tension during the town hall, too.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g000n356mtyfhplhz@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            At one point, Bhattacharya took a previously submitted question about the NIH\u2019s approach to diversity, equity and inclusion, an issue the Trump administration has targeted, terminating a large number of research grants.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g000o356m1niemh5f@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThe question is, how should we define health disparities research in a way that clearly separates it from DEI while continuing to address the costly consequences of US health disparities?\u201d Cranston prompted Bhattacharya.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g000p356mgkv8r7u4@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Bhattacharya responded that he has, \u201cin my own research, focused on vulnerable populations, and very often that means minority populations.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g000q356m84ge3p1b@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            But, he continued, \u201cthere\u2019s been a line of research supported by the NIH that I don\u2019t actually fundamentally believe is scientific, that is ideological in nature.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g000r356m4fe33k12@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            To provide an example, Bhattacharya cited redlining, or racial discrimination in housing and lending practices.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g000s356mkhce8ud4@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cYou could imagine a study looking at the effect of redlining on the access to health care for people, right? That\u2019s a completely legitimate kind of study,\u201d Bhattacharya said. \u201cThat would be a, I think, completely legitimate kind of study for the NIH to support.\u201d    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/related-content\/instances\/cmb50p8oc00083b6mnlbmz5zt@published\" data-component-name=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content-elevate related-content--article\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n<header class=\"related-content__title related-content__title-text\" data-editable=\"content.title\">Related article<\/header>\n<section class=\"related-content__body\">\n<div class=\"related-content__image image__related-content\">\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cmao8ls2p004z26qf89i66l9n@published\" class=\"image-elevate image__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-name=\"2025-05-14T152958Z_1067290418_RC2RHEAVPZ96_RTRMADP_3_USA-HEALTH-KENNEDY.JPG\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.5626666666666666\" data-original-height=\"1688\" data-original-width=\"3000\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/2025-05-14t152958z-1067290418-rc2rheavpz96-rtrmadp-3-usa-health-kennedy.JPG?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image__container \" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image__metadata-container media__metadata-container\">\n<div class=\"image__metadata media__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. testifies before a House Appropriations Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies Subcommittee hearing on the Department of Health and Human Services budget, on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., May 14, 2025. REUTERS\/Ken Cedeno<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image__credit\">Ken Cedeno\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"related-content__headline\">        <span class=\"related-content__headline-text\" data-editable=\"content.headline\">Lawmakers press Kennedy on mass cuts, canceled medical research<\/span>      <\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g000t356mypecjkwx@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            A member of the audience then spoke up. \u201cThen why is NIH terminating them?\u201d she said.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g000u356mlnh3ln7h@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cI\u2019m sorry, the NIH is not terminating those studies,\u201d Bhattacharya responded. \u201cI want to make a distinction \u2013\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g000v356mccmvchc6@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cOh, I disagree!\u201d the audience member shot back as colleagues applauded.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g000w356mzke4dx91@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cLet me finish,\u201d Bhattacharya said. \u201cSo the other kind of studies, for instance, what I want to distinguish from is something like \u2018structural racism causes poor health in minority populations.\u2019 \u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g000x356m853awpck@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cWhat do you think redlining is?\u201d the audience member said.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g000y356myoa2n52o@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cThe problem there is that it\u2019s not a scientific hypothesis,\u201d Bhattacharya argued. \u201cYou can\u2019t, in principle, think of a way to test that hypothesis where, in principle, you could falsify it.\u201d    <\/p>\n<h2 class=\"subheader inline-placeholder subheader-elevate\" data-editable=\"text\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/subheader\/instances\/cmb3wkg6e001i356mfueaissi@published\" data-component-name=\"subheader\" id=\"ridiculous-5-points-email\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">        \u2018Ridiculous\u2019 5-points email<\/h2>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g0010356mixvwu5zn@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            The director also told NIH staff that he\u2019d arrived in the job the day of mass dismissals as part of the HHS\u2019 Reduction in Force, or RIF, April 1, and that he hadn\u2019t had a say in them.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g0011356mt843ew0o@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            HHS said it cut 1,200 employees from the NIH.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g0012356m6me3a9cg@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cI actually don\u2019t have any transparency in how those decisions were made,\u201d Bhattacharya said. \u201cAnd I was quite upset<strong> <\/strong>about that. It would be nice to have had some say.\u201d    <\/p>\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/related-content\/instances\/cmb50oku300063b6m9qi74q6x@published\" data-component-name=\"related-content\" class=\"related-content-elevate related-content--article\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">\n<header class=\"related-content__title related-content__title-text\" data-editable=\"content.title\">Related article<\/header>\n<section class=\"related-content__body\">\n<div class=\"related-content__image image__related-content\">\n<div data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/image\/instances\/cmalv93cu000i28p5f08dcoab@published\" class=\"image-elevate image__hide-placeholder\" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-name=\"2025-03-22T003511Z_1348048887_RC2ZHDA6F2WD_RTRMADP_3_USA-TRUMP-DEMOCRATS.jpg\" data-component-name=\"image\" data-observe-resizes=\"\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image--eq-large&quot;: 660}\" data-original-ratio=\"0.6666666666666666\" data-original-height=\"2000\" data-original-width=\"3000\" data-url=\"https:\/\/media.cnn.com\/api\/v1\/images\/stellar\/prod\/2025-03-22t003511z-1348048887-rc2zhda6f2wd-rtrmadp-3-usa-trump-democrats.jpg?c=original\" data-editable=\"settings\">\n<div class=\"image__container \" data-image-variation=\"image\" data-breakpoints=\"{&quot;image--eq-extra-small&quot;: 115, &quot;image--eq-small&quot;: 300, &quot;image--show-credits&quot;: 525}\">           <\/div>\n<div class=\"image__metadata-container media__metadata-container\">\n<div class=\"image__metadata media__metadata\">\n<div class=\"image__caption attribution\">    <span data-editable=\"metaCaption\" class=\"inline-placeholder\">&#8220;Trump\u2019s war on science is not making America healthy again. It is making Americans and people throughout the world sicker,&#8221; Sen. Bernie Sanders said in a statement.<\/span>  <\/div><figcaption class=\"image__credit\">Kevin Mohatt\/Reuters<\/figcaption><\/div>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"related-content__headline\">        <span class=\"related-content__headline-text\" data-editable=\"content.headline\">Trump administration cut $2.7 billion in NIH research funding through March, Senate committee minority report says<\/span>      <\/p>\n<\/section>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g0013356mfzb88s9m@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            Bhattacharya said he\u2019s tried to make conditions better since he arrived based on feedback from employees, including by turning purchasing cards back on and enabling travel to conferences. He also suggested that he\u2019d put a stop to a requirement that employees send an email each week detailing five things they\u2019d accomplished.    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g0014356mf5b4bowb@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            \u201cI heard you guys have to do five points every week,\u201d Bhattacharya said. \u201cThat was ridiculous. I\u2019m really flat proud that we don\u2019t have to have some of the best scientists in the world tell me what they did last week with five points. That made no sense.\u201d    <\/p>\n<p class=\"paragraph-elevate inline-placeholder vossi-paragraph\" data-uri=\"cms.cnn.com\/_components\/paragraph\/instances\/cmb3vwe7g0016356mybham393@published\" data-editable=\"text\" data-component-name=\"paragraph\" data-article-gutter=\"true\">            A week after the town hall, the union members said they still hadn\u2019t heard from Bhattacharya\u2019s office about scheduling a meeting.    <\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div>This post appeared first on cnn.com<\/div>\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Labor unions Race &amp; ethnicity See all topics Facebook Tweet Email Link Link Copied! 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