NIH Under Scrutiny: Congressman Defends Agency Amidst Family Ties and Controversy

A Congressman's Defense

Rep. Jake Auchincloss (D-MA) has emerged as a staunch defender of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), vehemently opposing recent budget cuts. He argues that "curiosity-driven peer reviewed basic research is not meant to pass the politicians’ test." However, some observers are raising eyebrows, pointing to potential conflicts of interest stemming from his family's deep connections to the agency.

Family Ties to the NIH

Auchincloss's father, Hugh Auchincloss, served as a close aide to former NIAID Director Anthony Fauci for 16 years, even stepping in as acting director of NIAID from 2022 to 2023. He played a key role in steering intramural research, and his name surfaced in emails regarding NIAID-funded research at the Wuhan Institute of Virology – a topic of much public debate.

Further complicating matters, the congressman's mother, Laurie H. Glimcher, former president and CEO of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, has faced scrutiny over research papers with alleged irregularities, all of which received NIH funding. One paper, co-authored by Glimcher and published in the prestigious journal Science, was retracted 18 years after publication due to discrepancies in the figures.

The Wuhan Connection

Internal emails reveal a flurry of activity within NIAID in February 2020 as concerns arose about the connection between the institute and the Wuhan Institute of Virology. Anthony Fauci contacted Hugh Auchincloss directly, urging him to investigate whether the research in question had undergone proper scrutiny by the Potential Pandemic Pathogens Committee (P3CO).

While the internal file name referenced "gain-of-function," a term used to describe experiments that enhance a virus's deadliness or infectivity, Fauci later publicly insisted that the experiments did not fall under this category. This discrepancy fueled public skepticism and further intensified the debate surrounding the origins of the pandemic.

Dana-Farber Retractions

Laurie Glimcher's career also faced turbulence. While once considered a potential successor to former NIH Director Francis Collins, she stepped down from her position at Dana-Farber amidst controversy. This departure coincided with the uncovering of image manipulation concerns in numerous papers she co-authored, leading to retractions and corrections.

Scientific sleuth Sholto David, who brought these image integrity issues to light, commented on the lack of introspection within the scientific community: “Scientists often lay claim to their colleagues’ successes but never take responsibility for their fraud and failures. There’s been little introspection to understand what’s gone wrong.”

The Bigger Picture

Rep. Auchincloss's defense of the NIH takes place against a backdrop of broader changes at the agency. Recent budget cuts and personnel changes implemented by the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) have sparked debate and even legal challenges. These events have further polarized the scientific community and raised questions about the future direction of the NIH.