National Institutes of Health (NIH)

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Francis Collins retires from government

Francis Collins — the former NIH director who led the agency during the COVID pandemic — unexpectedly retired from the federal government, saying that employees of the institution "deserve the utmost respect and support of all Americans," Axios' Adriel Bettelheim writes.

• Why it matters: The noted geneticist's departure comes amid research funding cuts and terminations of probationary workers that have raised concern about an exodus of scientific and technical talent at federal agencies.

Collins issued a statement referencing a time when "investment in medical research was seen as a high priority and a nonpolitical bipartisan effort":

"I will continue to devote my life in other ways to seeking knowledge and enhancing health, to healing disease and reducing suffering, and to doing what I can to bring together our fractured communities around the shared values of love, truth, goodness and faith."

Collins stepped down as NIH director in 2021 after serving in the role for 12 years under three presidents. He returned to his lab to pursue projects that included understanding causes and prevention for Type 2 diabetes.

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NIH Ends Future Funding to Study the Health Effects of Climate Change

The National Institutes of Health will no longer be funding work on the health effects of climate change, according to internal records reviewed by ProPublica.

https://www.propublica.org/article/nih-funding-climate-change-public-health?

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What to know about reports RFK Jr. is launching registry to track Americans with autism

NIH already keeps a list of registries for various diagnoses, but the "autism registry" report comes amid Kennedy's false assertions about autism.

https://www.snopes.com/news/2025/04/22/rfk-jr-registry-to-track-autism/?

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Experts call Kennedy’s plan to find autism’s cause unrealistic

WASHINGTON (AP) — For many experts, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. ’s promise for “pulling back the curtain” to find autism’s causes in a few months is jarring — and unrealistic.

https://apnews.com/article/autism-kennedy-rfk-science-e4a5795275042c29e4a5721b2b163970?