CAPRISA condemns purge of world-class scientists from the NIH
“The US government’s destruction of its institutions of science is deeply concerning,” said Professor Salim Abdool Karim, Director of CAPRISA, “world-leading scientists are being fired from the NIH so that the Trump administration can continue to promote disinformation and impose its anti-scientific ideas such as the totally discredited notion that vaccines cause autism.”
The Trump Administration has fired 4 top scientists at the NIH, Dr Jeanne Marrazzo (Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)), Dr Christine Grady, Director of the NIH’s Bioethics Centre, Dr Clifford Lane, Deputy Director for clinical research at NIAID and Dr Emily Erbelding, Director of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases at NIAID, US National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Marazzo was put on administrative leave (often a precursor to being fired in the US) from 2 April by Robert Kennedy, Secretary for Health and Human Services (equivalent to Minister of Health in South Africa). Dr Marazzo is a renowned infectious disease specialist with a distinguished career in HIV, sexually transmitted infections (STIs), and sexual and reproductive health. Before succeeding Dr Anthony Fauci as NIAID Director, she was the Director of the Division of Infectious Diseases at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB). The Trump Administration used a well-worn strategy in the US to fire senior government employees by giving Dr Marrazzo a few hours to decide if she would accept a different government position that is not in research and is in some far away location. This strategy is referred to as “constructive dismissal” and is unlawful in South Africa. “We condemn the unlawful dismissal of Drs Marrazzo, Grady, Lane and Erbelding,” said Prof Abdool Karim. “This purge is a signal of the Trump administration’s vindictiveness, demonstrating how low it has stooped to the level of totalitarian regimes like Zimbabwe.”
A leader in STI and HIV prevention research, Dr. Marrazzo has conducted groundbreaking studies on pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), vaginal microbiome influences on STI susceptibility, and innovative strategies for HIV prevention in marginalized populations. Her work has shaped policies on sexual health and infectious disease management globally.
Dr. Marrazzo, who succeeded Dr. Anthony Fauci in September 2023, continued to lead NIAID with a focus on advancing research in infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases.