"Trump administration's attempts to reduce research funding at the NIH draw strong criticism from the previous director, labeled as 'destructive'."
In an interview, Elias Zerhouni, the first immigrant to head the US National Institutes of Health (NIH), expressed his concern about the rejection of foreign talent and the proposed budget cuts for the NIH under the current administration.
Zerhouni, who served as the NIH Director during the Bush Administration, described his tenure as a balancing act of keeping politics out of scientific work while managing political pressures. He emphasized the importance of public service and maintaining US leadership in biomedical research, science, and technology throughout his time in office and beyond.
During his term, the NIH budget was doubled, allowing the US to maintain its scientific leadership worldwide for the past 25 years. However, Zerhouni is alarmed by the Trump administration's plans to cut the NIH budget by 40%, from $48.5 billion to about $27 billion in fiscal year 2026. This, he believes, will create havoc and destruction, leading to a loss of thousands of scientists and a weakened position in the global battle of science and technology.
Zerhouni's concerns are not unfounded. The power of the purse is being questioned, as it is unclear whether the administration can impound budgets and if Congress can pass its own appropriations. The fiscal year ends on September 30, and the new budget should be voted on and recommendations made by then.
The former NIH director also noted a significant shift in the attitude and strategy of the Republican party towards science and technology, with the current administration wanting to halve the budget of the NIH and stop immigration of scientists and researchers.
These developments come amidst reports of plans to cut science and research funding, increased scrutiny on mRNA vaccine research by the NIH, and a proposed centralization of peer review that could result in a substantial loss of expertise.
Despite these challenges, Zerhouni remains hopeful and continues to advocate for the separation of politics from science. His new memoir, titled "Disease Knows no Politics", offers insights into his experience leading the NIH and his commitment to maintaining US leadership in research.
After leaving the NIH, Zerhouni was appointed as one of the first US presidential science envoys by then-president Barack Obama in 2009. From early 2011 until his retirement in mid-2018, he was president of global research and development at pharma giant Sanofi. Currently, he is the president and vice chairman of the biopharmaceutical diagnostics company OPKO Health, based in Florida.
Zerhouni's career in science and medicine was inspired by the first CT scans he saw, which were shown to him by his uncle who was a radiologist. He grew up in Algeria and completed medical school there before moving to the US in 1975 to attend Johns Hopkins University Medical School and specialize in radiology.
In conclusion, Zerhouni's experience leading NIH was marked by a commitment to separate politics from science while navigating its realities. His concerns about budget cuts under current/future administrations threaten America’s leadership in research, a position the US has held for the past 25 years.
The pharmaceutical industry, health-and-wellness, and medical-conditions are deeply interconnected with Zerhouni's career, given his tenure as the NIH Director and his subsequent role as president of global research and development at Sanofi. The proposed budget cuts for the NIH under the current administration raise general-news and political concerns, as Zerhouni believes these cuts will lead to a significant loss of scientists and weaken the US position in global science and technology competition. Science, being a crucial component in the development of treatments and cures for various medical-conditions, is at the heart of Zerhouni's advocacy for the separation of politics from scientific work.
