Six federal scientists have left the National Institutes of Health during the Trump administration due to challenges that made it impossible to do their work effectively. Marc Ernstoff, a physician pioneering immunotherapy research for cancer patients; Philip Stewart, a Rocky Mountain Laboratories researcher focused on tick-borne diseases; Alexa Romberg, an addiction prevention scientist focused on tobacco; and others said they retired or quit years earlier than planned. Sylvia Chou, who worked at the National Cancer Institute for over 15 years before leaving in January, stated: “People are going to get hurt. There’s going to be a lot more health challenges and even deaths, because we need science in order to help people get healthy.”
The NIH workforce has lost about 4,400 people—more than 20% of its workforce. Federal data shows the workforce plummeted from around 21,100 in fiscal year 2024 to about 17,100 people, its lowest level in at least two decades. The Trump administration enacted campaigns to purge government workers, instituted hiring freezes, and forced termination of research funds for topics deemed off-limits. Scientists faced major delays in accessing equipment, travel authorizations were slowed or denied, and agency staff were instructed not to communicate with outside organizations. References to minorities or health equity were purged from NIH-funded research under the administration’s agenda to eliminate diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives.
Daniel Dulebohn, who spent nearly two decades at Rocky Mountain Laboratories analyzing how molecules and proteins interact in diseases including Lyme disease, HIV, and Alzheimer’s, left in September. “It’s clear when someone comes out with a drug and now you’ve just cured a disease. But you never know which ones could have been cured. We don’t know what we’ve lost,” Dulebohn said. Jennifer Troyer, who left the National Human Genome Research Institute on December 31 after 25 years, reported her division lost about two-thirds of its staff. The NIH budget sits at $48.7 billion for fiscal year 2026, with roughly 11% funding agency scientists and about 80% awarded to universities and other institutions. Scientists warn the U.S. could lose its position as the global leader in biomedical research, with devastating consequences for disease prevention and treatment development.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://www.fortmorgantimes.com/2026/03/13/six-federal-scientists-run-out-by-trump-talk-about-the-work-left-undone/