OPINION
and not just your own family. And of course: you’ re now also paying lawyers, one hopes with the help of your institution.
The majority of the terminations, amounting to billions of dollars of awarded grants, may have some chance of getting resuscitated, if all the lawsuits flooding into federal appeal courts come to fruition, and end onside with the research institutions. As of mid-June, the Reagan-appointed Judge William Young of the U. S. District Court in Boston ruled in favor of the six scientists who had sued the NIH for its targeting of their research regarding the health of minorities, including the LGBTQ + community. But as of this writing it is still uncertain if the new head of the NIH will begin to release the hijacked funding, because the executive branch will appeal this ruling. Said Judge Young,“ I’ ve been on the bench for 40 years – I would be blind not to call it out – I have never seen government racial discrimination like this.” 2
Other countries are reportedly gearing up to accept scientists willing to relocate. Switzerland in particular is said to be cultivating U. S. scientists, to become a haven for their life’ s work. It was difficult for even the Senate Appropriations Committee at a hearing in June to get a handle on who, exactly, in the federal government, is making each discrete decision on the release or termination of funds meant for research. Members could not get an exact answer from the Trump-nominated NIH Director, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, on questions relating to which person, in which post, is denying funds to whom. There was no“ name, rank and serial number” answer. He did say that the NIH was to set up an appeals process for those whose funds had been denied.
“ Service” is hard-wired into medical professionals. If the NIH becomes a quagmire of junk science instead of a beacon inviting new knowledge, its service to our people will be lost.
RFJ Jr. is reportedly requiring repeated, prolonged studies of already-approved vaccines, and of existing MRA technology. He has fired the entire membership of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices( ACIP) and is replacing them with hand-picked acolytes. This is not advancing the cause of science. Access to vaccines, including updated COVID-19 vaccines, is vital to protect every single one of us. Making them costly and hard to get will hurt everyone and their children, no matter their legal status here. Undermining the physician’ s advice by promoting vaccine denial is not safe for our people. Across the world, millions of people over many decades have stayed alive because of American vaccine know-how. They, and their children, matter exactly as much as we do. References:
1
Desgagnes, N et al. Use of albumin-adjusted calcium measurements in clinical practice. JAMA Netw Open 2025 Jan. 21; 8: e2455251
2 https:// www. nature. com / articles / d41586-025-01914-2
Dr. Barry is an internist and Associate Professor of Medicine( Gratis Faculty) at the University of Louisville School of Medicine, currently retired and mulling her next moves.
Over and over and over, in training and then in practice, I learned from my elders and betters that asking the right question could lift the cloud of worry, could shine the bright light of diagnosis onto the frightened patient. Our future health depends on the right people asking the tough questions and then seeking the best answers. Knee-capping them with ideology is the wrong way to advance the nation’ s health.
Write for Louisville Medicine!
This is a publication by our members, for our members and we want to hear from you. We are always welcoming new writers for all sections of the magazine. Please reach out to Kathryn Vance at kathryn. vance @ glms. org if you’ d like to share your thoughts in an upcoming issue.
OPINION July 2025 33