Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo, who succeeded Dr. Anthony Fauci as director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) in August 2023, has been dismissed from her post by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
According to The New York Times, Marrazzo — a top National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientist — had been demoted and placed on administrative leave in March, months after filing a whistleblower complaint against the Trump administration.
In her complaint, filed with the U.S. Office of Special Counsel in September, Marrazzo alleged that she was silenced and removed from her role for speaking out against Trump administration policies that she claimed undermined vaccine research, defied court orders, and led to the cancellation of key clinical trials.
Marrazzo’s termination became official on Wednesday, Oct. 1, according to a copy of the termination letter obtained by The New York Times. Kennedy’s letter did not cite a specific reason for her firing.
“My termination, unfortunately, shows that the leaders of HHS and the National Institutes of Health do not share my commitment to scientific integrity and public health,” Marrazzo said in a statement released through her attorneys. “Congress must act to protect scientific research from those who would serve political interests first.”
Her attorney, Debra S. Katz, said in a separate statement that 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.”
“Dr. Marrazzo bravely came forward to warn the public about the risks posed by the Administration’s hostile approach to vaccines and to protect public health research,” Katz added.
The NIH, however, has denied Marrazzo’s claims, telling The New York Times that her allegations are false.
Requests for comment sent on Saturday, Oct. 4, to both Katz and the NIH did not receive an immediate response.
Marrazzo had taken over the leadership of NIAID following Dr. Fauci’s retirement after nearly four decades at the helm. Her removal marks one of several recent high-profile dismissals within the NIH.
According to Science.org, three other directors were also fired in recent weeks: Dr. Eliseo Pérez-Stable, who led the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities; Dr. Diana Bianchi, who directed the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; and Shannon Zenk, who oversaw the National Institute of Nursing Research.
Dr. Jeanne Marrazzo in 2024.
NIH-NIAID/Image Point FR/BSIP/Universal Images Group via Getty
