My resignation letter from CDC. Dear Dr. Houry, I am writing to formally resign from my position as Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), effective August 28, 2025, close of business. I am happy to stay on for two weeks to provide transition, if requested. This decision has not come easily, as I deeply value the work that the CDC does in safeguarding public health and am proud of my contributions to that critical mission. However, after much contemplation and reflection on recent developments and perspectives brought to light by Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., I find that the views he and his staff have shared challenge my ability to continue in my current role at the agency and in the service of the health of the American people. Enough is enough. While I hold immense respect for the institution and my colleagues, I believe that it is imperative to align my professional responsibilities to my system of ethics and my understanding of the science of infectious disease, immunology, and my promise to serve the American people. This step is necessary to ensure that I can contribute effectively in a capacity that allows me to remain true to my principles.

The recent change in the adult and children’s immunization schedule threaten the lives of the youngest Americans and pregnant people. The data analyses that supported this decision have never been shared with CDC despite my respectful requests to HHS and other leadership. This lack of meaningful engagement was further compounded by a “frequently asked questions” document written to support the Secretary’s directive that was circulated by HHS without input from CDC subject matter experts and that cited studies that did not support the conclusions that were attributed to these authors. Having worked in local and national public health for years, I have never experienced such radical non-transparency, nor have I seen such unskilled manipulation of data to achieve a political end rather than the good of the American people. It is untenable to serve in an organization that is not afforded the opportunity to discuss decisions of scientific and public health importance released under the moniker of CDC. The lack of communication by HHS and other CDC political leadership that culminates in social media posts announcing major policy changes without prior notice demonstrate a disregard of normal communication channels and common sense. Having to retrofit analyses and policy actions to match inadequately thought-out announcements in poorly scripted videos or page long X posts should not be how organizations responsible for the health of people should function. Some examples include the announcement of the change in the COVID-19 recommendations for children and pregnant people, the firing of scientists from ACIP by X post and an op-ed rather than direct communication with these valuable experts, the announcement of new ACIP members by X before onboarding and vetting have completed, and the release of term of reference for an ACIP workgroup that ignored all feedback from career staff at CDC.

Their desire to please a political base will result in death and disability of vulnerable children and adults. Their base should be the people they serve not a political voting bloc. I have always been first to challenge scientific and public health dogma in my career and was excited by the opportunity to do so again. I was optimistic that there would be an opportunity to brief the Secretary about key topics such as measles, avian influenza, and the highly coordinated approach to the respiratory virus season. Such briefings would allow exchange of ideas and a shared path to support the vision of “Making America Healthy Again.” We are seven months into the new administration, and no CDC subject matter expert from my Center has ever briefed the Secretary. I am not sure who the Secretary is listening to, but it is quite certainly not to us. Unvetted and conflicted outside organizations seem to be the sources HHS use over the gold standard science of CDC and other reputable sources. At a hearing, Secretary Kennedy said that Americans should not take medical advice from him. To the contrary, an appropriately briefed and inquisitive Secretary should be a source of health information for the people he serves. As it stands now, I must agree with him, that he should not be considered a source of accurate information. The intentional eroding of trust in low-risk vaccines favoring natural infection and unproven remedies will bring us to a pre-vaccine era where only the strong will survive and many if not all will suffer. I believe in nutrition and exercise. I believe in making our food supply healthier, and I also believe in using vaccines to prevent death and disability. Eugenics plays prominently in the rhetoric being generated and is derivative of a legacy that good medicine and science should continue to shun.

The recent shooting at CDC is not why I am resigning. My grandfather, who I am named after, stood up to fascist forces in Greece and lost his life doing so. I am resigning to make him and his legacy proud. I am resigning because of the cowardice of a leader that cannot admit that HIS and his minions’ words over decades created an environment where violence like this can occur. I reject his and his colleagues’ thoughts and prayers, and advise they direct those to people that they have not actively harmed. For decades, I have been a trusted voice for the LGBTQ community when it comes to critical health topics. I must also cite the recklessness of the administration in their efforts to erase transgender populations, cease critical domestic and international HIV programming, and terminate key research to support equity as part of my decision. Public health is not merely about the health of the individual, but it is about the health of the community, the nation, the world. The nation’s health security is at risk and is in the hands of people focusing on ideological self-interest. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude for the opportunities for growth, learning, and collaboration that I have been afforded during my time at the CDC. It has been a privilege to work alongside such dedicated professionals who are committed to improving the health and well-being of communities across the nation even when under attack from within both physically and psychologically. Thank you once again for the support and guidance I have received from you and previous CDC leadership throughout my tenure. I wish the CDC continued success in its vital mission and that HHS reverse its dangerous course to dismantle public health as a practice and as an institution. If they continue the current path, they risk our personal well-being and the security of the United States.

Full resignation letter from Demetre C. Daskalakis, a CDC leader, does not hold back.
"The recent shooting at CDC is not why I am resigning. My grandfather, who I am named after, stood up to fascist forces in Greece and lost his life doing so. I am resigning to make him and his legacy proud."

Breaking News: Read three top CDC officials' resignation emails. The end of an era.

Hard to describe how I feel in this moment. I’m proud to have been taught by Dr. Daskalakis during residency at NYU. Im still learning from him. insidemedicine.substack.com/p/breaking-n...

We are still looking for anonymous interviewees for our upcoming special podcast on DEI work. Please email us if you are interested! BioethicsInTheMargins@gmail.com

One of my colleagues recently said “we’re really in the Upside Down now” and I can’t get it out of my head.

Our final episode of the season is out! Danielle Pacia, Sana Baban, J. Wesley Boyd and Ryan Dougherty discuss their national survey exploring the role of social justice in bioethics, published in AJOB Empirical Bioethics. Check out the episode here: bit.ly/4lxA5Nk, and the paper here: bit.ly/3YAI2sf

Face coverings. No identification. No jurisdiction over Americans. Call them for what they really are! #icenazis

The Montefiore Einstein Center for Bioethics is hosting a virtual information session about its certificate and Master of Science programs on May 20 at 3 pm ET. To learn more about the program, visit bit.ly/4iNrfcB. Register at bit.ly/4lZapKy. #Bioethics #MedED #MedSky #edu

My PhD student's NSF grant was terminated today. Her dissertation investigates why air pollution monitoring, metrics, and regulations don't properly capture the harms experienced by marginalized communities--esp in the most polluted Detroit neighborhoods. She and I are happy to talk with press etc.

Column | The Smithsonian could be the beginning of Trump’s plan to edit history. Or the end. The president may not like how the museum and research institution tells the American story — but Americans do.

wapo.st/3G7dQ1h

Opening Statement before the International Military Tribunal - Robert H Jackson Center On November 21, 1945, in the Palace of Justice at Nuremberg, Germany, Justice Robert H. Jackson, Chief of Counsel for the United States, made his opening statement to the International Military Tribun...

“Secret arrest and indefinite detention, without charges, without evidence, without hearing, without counsel, became the method of inflicting inhuman punishment on any whom the Nazi police suspected or disliked. No court could issue an injunction, or writ of habeas corpus, or certiorari.”

Speaking up matters.

Sending anyone from this country to a foreign gulag, particularly without a court hearing, should rightfully end a presidency. Full stop.

Teaching history is our sacred duty during these times. We must preserve the truth.

My pictures do not capture the size of the crowd. We started at the front, completed to 23rd street, then walked all the way back up to 42nd and never found the end-more and more marchers just kept coming. #HandsOff #nyc

Many! 🏳️‍⚧️

Dear Dr. Salles, I am writing to let you know that due to changes in NIH/HHS priorities, the Research on Interventions that Promote the Careers of Individuals in the Biomedical Research Enterprise (R01) program has been terminated. Your institution can continue to draw funds on any active award for allowed costs that are within scope and consistent with the Grants Policy Statement. Further awards will not be made, and NIGMS will not permit no-cost extensions. NIGMS grants management will follow up if there is any specific information or action needed regarding your award. For additional information regarding funding opportunities that NIGMS supports, see NIGMS TWD Webpage: https://www.nigms.nih.gov/. training/Pages/TWDPrograms. If you have specific follow up questions, please email nigmstrainingmail@nigms.nih.gov and include the grant number.

It was just a matter of time. My R01, a grant dedicated to addressing sexual harassment in biomedical research (which affects over 50% of women and sexual and gender minorities), is being terminated.

I guess I should be grateful this letter doesn’t have the offensive language in other terminations.

Ellen Pachnanda and Elizabeth Chuang Friends, Elizabeth "Liz" Chuang (48) and Ellen Pachnanda (46), discuss Liz's work as a palliative care physician during the COVID-19 pandemic. The two relate to one another over the many obstacles and...

Thank you to #StoryCorps for recording my #COVID19 story and thank you to Ellen Pachnanda for sharing it with me. archive.storycorps.org/interviews/e...

I just want to share my gratitude for the leadership of Dr. Eliseo Pérez-Stable. So much good work happened at the NIMHD during his tenure. He was a great supporter of palliative care research, including my own work, which is funded by the NIMHD. Thank you Dr. Pérez-Stable. So sorry to see you go.

From pulpit to protest: What the 40-day boycott of Target is about Jamal Bryant and other Black faith leaders rally against the retailer’s DEI rollback with a Lent-length “Target Fast.”

wapo.st/4iidjYx

Small federal agency blocks DOGE employees from entering its building The USADF, an independent agency created by Congress and focused on African economic development, resisted letting in DOGE employees who were there to fire staff.

wapo.st/4bFyO2V

Alt Text: A digital flyer with a dark red background promotes the "Save Our Services: LET US WORK Mass Call" event. The main text is in bold white and light blue, with "LET US WORK" in large, uppercase white letters and "MASS CALL" in bold outlined text. Below, the flyer highlights four featured speakers with circular headshots: Senator Chris Murphy (D-CT), Robert Reich (Former Secretary of Labor & Co-Founder of Inequality Media), Liz Shuler (President, AFL-CIO), and Maurice Mitchell (National Director, Working Families Party). The event is scheduled for Thursday, March 13th at 8PM ET / 5PM PT, with a call to action in bold: "Register: bit.ly/march13RSVP." On the left side, logos of supporting organizations are stacked vertically, including the Federal Unionists Network (FUN), AFL-CIO, American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), Working Families Party (WFP), and MoveOn. At the bottom, white text reads "+ more!!" indicating additional speakers. The flyer visually emphasizes urgency and collective action against federal worker layoffs.

🚨 Trump and Musk want to fire federal workers, gut public services, and hand our government to billionaires. We’re not letting that happen.

📢 Join us this Thursday at 8PM ET for a mass call to hear how we fight back—together.

Right now there is clear, overwhelming opposition to Mahmoud Khalil’s abduction across the moderate, liberal, progressive & left spectrum. This kind of loud unity is what authoritarians are afraid of. To keep it up we need every institution & public leader to join the chorus.

Really wish people would stop talking about the problem with Science under Trump as “budget cuts”.

No. Budgets are set deliberatively by elected members of congress. Budgets haven’t been cut.

What’s happening are *purges* and *censorship*.

#StandUpForScience #NYC save the #NIH

#Amazon boycott starts tomorrow! For this whole week (but forever is better)

I will be at the New York march. Please join me and my colleagues.

Our website is down but our spirits are not! While the Montefiore Einstein bioethics website is under reconstruction interested applicants can apply here:
Certificate Program: einsteinmed-6901.app451.sites.451.io
Masters: einsteinmed-3779.app451.sites.451.io
Questions? email bioethics@montefiore.org

Practical Radicals Politics Podcast · 14 Episodes · Updated Biweekly

What im listening to now: podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/p...

I forgot to watch that one last @glaucomflecken.bsky.social video before the TikTok ban. Truly a dark day.