Posted on 02/22/2025 11:33:35 AM PST by Oldeconomybuyer
As President Donald Trump directs cuts of tens of thousands of federal government employees, among those laid off at America's health agencies are workers at a National Institutes of Health department focused on dementia research, including its incoming leader, three people familiar with the terminations told ABC News.
The firings at the Center for Alzheimer's and Related Dementias (CARD) affected roughly a tenth of the nearly 100 employees at the center, but in interviews with ABC News, workers there described a carefully woven web of collaboration that they say could be threatened by the layoffs of just a handful of employees, warning that it could jeopardize progress in answering key questions about dementia.
Most shocking to CARD workers was the termination of lead researcher Kendall Van Keuren-Jensen, who was announced internally as the organization's next acting director and was expected to bring significant advancements to the research field.
"It's just jaw-dropping," an upper-level CARD employee told ABC News of Van Keuren-Jensen's firing.
Neurologists say the downsizing at CARD could be a blow to the scientific quest for new Alzheimer's treatments. NIH scientists at CARD work with external scientists to turn early scientific discoveries into treatments and medicines.
The outgoing director, Andrew Singleton, told colleagues in an email that the layoffs would "have a profound impact on the work we do to understand and treat disease," according to one CARD employee.
(Excerpt) Read more at abcnews.go.com ...
Bingo.
I’m sure there was a good reason for this research project, but I can’t recall what it is.
Alzheimer’s research has been beset by scandal recently. A bunch of papers retracted. I have no idea if any of these people are directly responsible.
Kendall Van Keuren-Jensen, who was announced internally as the organization’s next acting director and was expected to bring significant advancements to the research field.
Yeah just like the dozens before, hiring from within gets you mediocracy and a higher paycheck, joe, Lydia, leroy its your turn to head the research department, your next in line
“ So are we talking 8 or 9 employees? And this is worth a story?”
Exactly. And they have probably hired a bunch of commissars who have nothing to do with scientific research to oversee DEI is maintained in recents years.
I’m guessing there is so much duplication of services at the NIH and allied agencies that it can take quite a bit of trimming.
Billions have been spent. Zero results.
Q: How many medicines has NIH invented?
A: As many as the Soviet Union (none).
They neither understand the disease nor do they have any effective way to treat it. They could wipe out the whole thing and nothing would fundamentally change.
Meanwhile, there are things that can be done to lessen the chances of getting it, and they’re the usual things: exercise, a good diet, good dental hygiene, cut back on booze, etc.
They can’t remember which.
Ten employees fired.
So according to ABC we are all gonna die.
I’d say the billions in Alzheimer’s research for decades and no results is justification to shut it down.
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