Several leading scientists responsible for managing disease prevention and cure research at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) were informed of a significant reduction in force on Tuesday. This action forms part of a broad removal of federal employees executed by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr., according to information obtained by WIRED.
Anonymous sources within the NIH confirmed on Tuesday afternoon that at least ten principal investigators, who were overseeing medical research at the agency, had been dismissed. Among those let go is Dr. Richard Youle, a prominent researcher in neurodegenerative disorders, who previously received the Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences for his pioneering work in uncovering mechanisms related to Parkinson’s disease.
The Breakthrough Prize ceremony, likened to the “Oscars of Science,” was attended last year by Elon Musk. Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) has been pivotal in President Donald Trump’s efforts to significantly reduce the federal workforce.
The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) did not provide responses to WIRED’s inquiries regarding the dismissals. Vianca Rodriguez, an agency spokesperson, referenced previous statements by Secretary Kennedy, including recent plans announced to cut 1,200 NIH positions in procurement, human resources, and communications.
Multiple NIH contacts informed WIRED that the layoffs impacted not only personnel in labor, IT, and human resources but also several distinguished senior researchers at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), leading scientists at the National Institute on Aging, and other researchers focused on HIV, emerging infectious diseases, and pediatric brain and neural disorders.
During a town hall meeting on Tuesday, leadership at NINDS expressed confusion and concern over the unexpected nature of the layoffs of principal investigators, individuals who lead research teams. NIH comprises roughly 1,200 principal investigators across its 27 centers and institutes. Walter Koroshetz, director of NINDS, reportedly conveyed dismay, questioning the rationale behind the dismissal of 11 senior PIs.
The dismissals affected labs engaged in both clinical trials and preclinical research. Staff at NIH indicated uncertainty concerning the fate of the data collected or the status of patients involved in ongoing trials.
An email sent to over 2,000 recent college graduates, graduate students, and postdoctoral fellows associated with NIH appeared to corroborate the dismissal of multiple PIs. Sharon Milgram, director of NIH’s Office of Intramural Training & Education, wrote in the email shared with WIRED that many among them might know individuals who received termination notices as part of an HHS-wide Reduction in Force.
The NIH supports emerging researchers through various programs, generally offering temporary fellowships lasting one or two years. These early-career scientists are often placed in labs overseen by a PI. Milgram, in her email, reassured fellows in NIH’s postbaccalaureate, cancer research, and visiting fellows programs whose PI received a reduction notice, emphasizing that their fellowship positions were not immediately terminated, and promised that reassignment options would soon be explored.
