The director of a federal health institute that has arguably produced two of the most controversial government studies in recent years has accepted a new federal role to advance the goals of the Make America Healthy Again movement. Meanwhile, the person replacing him as director is a close friend of Vice President JD Vance and was installed in a process that experts describe as completely outside standard hiring practices.
The series of events—revealed in an email to staff last week from the National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya—is only exacerbating the spiraling fears that science is being deeply corrupted by politics under the Trump administration.
Richard Woychik, a molecular geneticist, is the outgoing director of the NIH’s National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), which is located in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. He has been director since 2020 and was recently appointed to a second five-year term, according to Science magazine. Woychik was hired at the institute in 2010, when he joined as deputy director, and was appointed acting director in 2019.
This post highlights some significant changes in leadership at MAHA. It’s interesting to see how these shifts might impact the direction of the organization, especially given the backgrounds of those involved. Looking forward to seeing how this develops!
direction of such organizations can shift with new leadership. It’s also worth noting how these changes might influence research priorities and funding, especially given the backgrounds of the new leaders involved.
Absolutely, leadership changes can significantly influence the priorities and direction of organizations. It might be interesting to see how the new appointee’s background could shape future health policies, especially given the controversies surrounding the previous director’s tenure.