NATIONAL INSTITUTES OF HEALTH

HACE, a tool combining helicase enzymes with CRISPR, introduces precise genetic mutations in specific genes, identifying drug resistance mutations in cancer genes and splicing defects in blood cancers, potentially revolutionizing therapeutic discovery.

Scientists fear Trump's administration could undermine public health achievements, with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. potentially leading a radical antiestablishment movement. Vaccine mandates, new vaccine approvals, and FDA decisions could be impacted, along with potential mass firings of dissenting scientists. Kennedy and allies advocate for dramatic public health changes, criticizing government agencies for promoting unhealthy practices and dangerous drugs. The potential for significant changes in federal health agencies, including the NIH and CDC, is concerning to many health professionals.

President-elect Trump's nomination of Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health and Human Services secretary raises concerns among public health leaders, who fear his fringe medical views and lack of scientific credentials could weaken federal health agencies amid rising disease threats and misinformation. Kennedy, a vaccine skeptic, would oversee institutions like the CDC and FDA, despite his history of criticizing them. Experts warn his views on vaccines and fluoride could undermine public health, while his potential reforms lack strong scientific support.

Florida’s Summer Institute in Biostatistics and Data Science Program (SIBDS) offers undergraduates and recent graduates a six-week program from May 19 to June 27, 2025, at FAU’s Boca Raton campus. Participants will learn biostatistics, epidemiology, data science, and more, receive stipends, and engage in career workshops and group projects. Application deadline is March 14, 2025, with interviews starting late January 2025. Self-fund travel and initial expenses required.

RFK Jr.'s anti-vaccine rhetoric has led to preventable deaths and illnesses, but he correctly criticizes pharmaceutical industry corruption. Patent monopolies allow inflated drug prices, incentivizing misleading claims and FDA approval manipulation. Alternative funding mechanisms, like upfront government research payments, could reduce corruption and save billions on drug costs.

Trump nominates RFK Jr. to lead HHS, aiming to reshape public health agencies and vaccine policies. RFK Jr. plans to restructure HHS, remove ultra-processed foods, and address environmental factors like fluoridation. He advocates for transparency in vaccine data and opposes legal protections for vaccine makers. His potential influence on vaccine uptake and institutional reforms at health agencies raises concerns among public health experts.

Robert F. Kennedy Jr., an anti-vaccine activist, is set to head the Department of Health and Human Services, overseeing its $1.7 trillion budget. Kennedy has vowed to overhaul the FDA, CDC, and NIH, criticizing their vaccine research and public health policies. His plans include dismissing FDA employees, reversing CDC fluoride recommendations, and reallocating NIH funds to alternative health approaches. Kennedy also opposes Medicare and Medicaid covering weight-loss drugs, advocating for gym memberships and healthier foods instead.

46 polygenic risk scores (PRSs) for coronary heart disease (CHD) with similar population-level performance produced discordant individual-level risk estimates, with 20% of participants having PRSs in both the top and bottom 5th percentile at least once. This variability suggests that CHD PRSs with similar population-level characteristics may not provide consistent individual risk estimates, emphasizing the need for refined statistical methods and strategies to communicate uncertainty in clinical implementation.