An NIH director joins MAHA, gets replaced by JD Vance’s close friend

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Key Takeaways:

  • 1. The director of a federal health institute known for controversial studies is leaving for a new role, while his replacement has close ties to Vice President JD Vance.
  • 2. The hiring process for the replacement director is criticized as being outside standard practices, raising concerns about political interference in science.
  • 3. The studies produced by the outgoing director’s institute, including one linking cellphone radiation to cancer and another linking fluoride to lowered IQ, have faced criticism from the scientific community.

The director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, known for controversial studies linking cellphone radiation to cancer and fluoride to lowered IQ, is leaving for a new role. His replacement, a friend of Vice President JD Vance, was appointed in a process criticized for deviating from standard practices. The move raises concerns about political influence on scientific research under the Trump administration.

Insight: The controversial studies align with conspiracy theories promoted by the Make America Healthy Again movement, led by US health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has advocated against fluoride in water and raised concerns about cellphone radiation effects.

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This article was curated by memoment.jp from the feed source: Ars Technica.

Read the original article here: https://arstechnica.com/health/2025/10/an-nih-director-joins-maha-gets-replaced-by-jd-vances-close-friend/

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