Just three weeks after a prominent scientist at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) lodged a whistleblower complaint against the Trump administration, Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy officially terminated her employment. This information comes from her legal representative and a copy of the termination letter.
This dismissal marks the latest in a series of actions taken by the Trump administration against government scientists and environmental experts. These professionals had previously warned that certain administrative policies were jeopardizing public health and safety.
In her complaint, Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, who previously served as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, expressed strong objections to specific Trump administration actions. She alleged that these actions had put research subjects at risk, openly defied court mandates, and systematically undermined crucial vaccine research.
The complaint detailed that after Dr. Marrazzo initially voiced her concerns internally earlier this year, she was placed on involuntary administrative leave, though not immediately fired.
Dr. Marrazzo confirmed on Thursday that she received her termination notice from Mr. Kennedy this week, in a letter dated September 26.
The Health Secretary’s letter cited his authority to appoint NIH directors. Consequently, Mr. Kennedy stated, “in my capacity as secretary, I have decided to terminate your appointment as the director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease.”
Dr. Marrazzo noted that the letter provided no further details or explanation for her firing. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) declined to comment, labeling the whistleblower allegations as “false.”
Debra S. Katz, Dr. Marrazzo’s lawyer, issued a statement asserting that the firing was a clear act of retaliation.
“The Trump Administration terminated Dr. Marrazzo for her advocacy on behalf of critical health research and for her support of the overwhelming body of evidence that shows vaccines are safe and effective,” Ms. Katz declared.
The removal of the federal government’s former chief of infectious disease research has further depleted the ranks of vaccine and infectious disease scientists operating under President Trump.
In late August, several high-ranking officials at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) resigned. This included the directors of centers responsible for managing emerging diseases, respiratory illnesses, and vaccine recommendations, following the dismissal of CDC director Susan Monarez.
Moreover, the Trump administration has intensified its pressure on government scientists and environmental experts who have raised alarms about new policies in recent months. Both the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) suspended employees for criticizing the Trump administration’s directives.
Despite this, NIH director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya has publicly committed to fostering an environment where conflicting views are welcomed, emphasizing during his confirmation hearing that dissent is “the very essence of science.”
However, Ms. Katz maintained that the NIH itself also retaliated against Dr. Marrazzo for engaging in “protected whistleblower activity.”
Dr. Marrazzo submitted her whistleblower complaint last month alongside Dr. Kathleen Neuzil, who was then the director of the NIH’s Fogarty International Center, a body dedicated to supporting global health research.
Dr. Neuzil also stated in the complaint that she was removed from her position and placed on involuntary administrative leave. This occurred after she objected to what she described as dangerous and unscientific perspectives on vaccines gaining traction within the higher echelons of the NIH, an institution long recognized as a global leader in vaccine research.
Shortly before filing the whistleblower complaint, Dr. Neuzil resigned, stating her departure was compelled by the agency’s decision to assign her no work. She has since been appointed as the director of polio eradication efforts at the Gates Foundation.
In response to the whistleblower complaint last month, the Health Department refuted the allegations made by Dr. Marrazzo and Dr. Neuzil, calling the administration’s NIH policies “unscientific.”
Andrew Nixon, an HHS spokesman, stated that “Assertions that reprioritization, reallocation, or cancellation of certain grants are ‘anti-science’ misrepresent NIH’s progress and often echo the grievances of former staff.”
According to Ms. Katz, Dr. Marrazzo has been left with “no real avenues of recourse” after her firing, largely due to the Trump administration having “eviscerated” the very government agency tasked with protecting whistleblowers.
In a public statement, Dr. Marrazzo urged Congress to intervene.
“My termination, unfortunately, shows that the leaders of H.H.S. and the National Institutes of Health do not share my commitment to scientific integrity and public health,” Dr. Marrazzo asserted. “Congress must act to protect scientific research from those who would serve political interests first.”