NIH Scientists Face Layoffs Despite RFK Jr.'s Claims to Congress

Some of the National Institutes of Health Some of the leading neuroscientists at the organization were informed about their layoffs last month, just prior to the announcement made by the Secretary of Health and Human Services. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. stated before Congress that none of the active scientists in his department had been removed.

Although the researchers were instructed to keep working for an additional several weeks in the laboratories they manage at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, people close to the matter indicate that their termination letters have remained unchanged.

"One of the scientists, speaking anonymously, informed CBS News via messaging that most individuals think we were brought back due to our return to the workplace," they said.

This indicates that they will still be subject to dismissal by the federal government on June 2, similar to the thousands of other employees who were placed on leave following this situation. Kennedy's layoffs were announced last month.

"The 11 laboratories have roughly 100 employees, primarily consisting of youthful trainees who would face significant career disruptions," stated a scientist knowledgeable about the circumstances to CBS News.

The news about the neurologists and stroke researchers from the National Institutes of Health losing their positions has been revealed. previously reported by The Transmitter.

The scientists who were let go include Richard Youle. Since 1978, Youle has been working at the NIH. His position is titled as distinguished investigator , a designation reserved for the agency's most preeminent researchers. He was the winner In 2021, he was awarded one of the three million dollars in Breakthrough Prizes in Life Sciences for his studies on Parkinson's disease.

A scientist familiar with Youle's work, who spoke anonymously fearing retaliation, praised his research as a "fundamentally important" breakthrough for the field. Youle's results had paved the way for researchers to find new treatments for Parkinson's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders, the NIH said in its news release.

A source from the NIH mentioned that following the announcement of layoffs last month, Youle was presented with four employment opportunities. Among these, three were based abroad. Although Youle has communicated to others his current lack of desire to leave the U.S., the same source indicated this situation highlights how “other countries stand ready to seize and recruit our premier researchers should we fail to address this issue.”

According to documents provided to CBS News, ten additional senior investigators—Miguel Holmgren, Steve Jacobson, Dorian McGavern, Joseph Mindell, Katherine Roche, Zu-Hang Sheng, David R. Sibley, Kenton Swartz, Susan Wray, and Ling-Gang Wu—were dismissed from NINDS. The same records indicate that Silvina Horowitz, a senior associate scientist at NINDS, received a termination letter as well.

Among the scientists who have garnered significant acclaim for their research in recent times is Wu, who was chosen for a prestigious award In February, he received an award from the Biophysical Society due to his continuing studies on neuron communication and functionality. Sibley was acknowledged for this recognition. in 2023 By a pharmacology society for their groundbreaking work on dopamine receptors within the brain.

Kennedy informed a Senate health panel hearing On May 14, they mentioned that the sole reductions carried out so far were "administrative cuts."

"As far as I understand, we haven’t let go any of the active scientists—the individuals engaged in scientific work. However, some employees who previously worked as scientists but transitioned into IT roles or administrative positions did face job losses. In regard to those actively involved in science, our objective has been to retain all of them so that ongoing research can proceed uninterrupted," Kennedy stated.

Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who leads the NIH, along with several high-ranking officials at the agency, were informed of the staff reductions a few weeks back, according to reports from various insiders shared with CBS News. Initially, both Bhattacharya and his associates stated that these cuts were errors and assured that they would be corrected shortly.

Several weeks have gone by since these promises were communicated to the scientists. According to multiple sources, the scientists still haven’t received any notifications canceling their “reduction in force” or “RIF” warnings, nor have they been provided with reasons as to why efforts to overturn their terminations did not take place.

That differs from analogous layoff instances that were canceled several weeks prior at the Food and Drug Administration and U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention By the department, with officials finishing it just before Kennedy testified on Capitol Hill.

In response to inquiries regarding the employment situation of NIH and NIOSH scientists who were issued Reduction-in-Force notifications, a representative from the department referred back to Kennedy’s statements during the Senate hearings concerning the layoffs.

Kennedy’s assertion that no practicing scientists were dismissed has incited criticism recently from other researchers who lost their jobs across various health organizations outside of the NIH.

For instance, whereas some of those who were let go Staff members at the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health had their positions reinstated prior to Kennedy's hearing. , researchers at the Health Effects Laboratory Division within the agency have remained absent from their duties. Similarly, numerous scientists at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Center for Environmental Health were also sidelined. This center was involved in various projects, spanning from lead poisonings to to illness outbreaks on cruise ships CDC laboratories are currently examining outbreaks of viral hepatitis and sexually transmitted infections. also eliminated , following all the scientists being let go.

"Perhaps he is unaware that his RIFs have gutted scientists and frontline public health workers at CDC, the very people he vowed to protect," one laid-off CDC official told CBS News.

Some within the NIH said they believed that the scientists would be reinstated after the research agency faced a second round Regarding layoffs, employees were informed these measures were necessary to reinstate certain scientists back into their former roles.

Approximately 200 workers at the NIH faced layoffs, affecting personnel from both the National Cancer Institute and the Office of Research Facilities. Authorities stated that these reductions dismantled several groups tasked with handling contract work for urgent upkeep across the NIH’s properties as well as managing lab safety protocols.

According to an email sent to lab managers and shared with CBS News, the NIH's acquisitions department was severely impacted by these layoffs, reducing the agency's supply center’s capability to handle new tasks related to procuring supplies for researchers to almost non-existent levels.