Alzheimer’s research faces unprecedented disruption as Trump-era layoffs eliminate 10% of staff at NIH’s Center for Alzheimer’s and Related Dementias (CARD), including its incoming director. Medical experts warn these cuts could derail critical work on dementia treatments affecting 7 million Americans.
The termination of lead researcher Dr. Kendall Van Keuren-Jensen stunned colleagues weeks before her planned promotion to acting director.
It's jaw-dropping,a senior CARD staffer told ABC News, describing how critical research partnerships now face collapse.
Controversy surrounds the justification for cuts, with terminated scientists citing inconsistent reasoning. A researcher dismissed for alleged performance issues told ABC News:
My managers praised my work weeks before HR sent termination papers.Another noted a dismissed colleague recently published groundbreaking work in a top medical journal.
Critical areas impacted include:
- Data-sharing networks for experimental therapies
- Translational research converting discoveries into treatments
- Federal coordination with academic partners
The White House defended the staffing overhaul. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt stated:
President Trump promised to eliminate waste—this delivers accountability Democrats never achieved.
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s restructuring plans compound concerns. His November pledge to replace 600 NIH staff aligns with broader HHS cuts affecting:
- CDC disease control operations
- FDA food safety monitoring
- Vaccine distribution websites
Bipartisan critics including Sen. Roy Blunt (R-MO)—namesake of the CARD facility—oppose risking dementia research progress. With Alzheimer’s deaths projected to triple by 2050, experts argue this staffing purge jeopardizes America’s lead in neurological science.