Latest news with #Quackenbush
Daily Mail
25-04-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Harvard doctor: I was on the cusp of a cure for cancer, then Trump cut my funding... now thousands could die needlessly
A Harvard doctor studying cutting-edge therapies for cancer and lung disease has revealed how his research has been brutally axed by President Trump. Dr John Quackenbush detailed the sudden cut to his funding to understand how the devastating diseases affect and progress differently in men and women - a hurdle that has stifled progress on finding cures. The 63-year-old scientist who has been a professor at the prestigious university for the last 20 years explained that the about $2.4 million research project was meant to find personalized and improved treatments for both sexes. The project had been submitted in November 2020 and was approved by former President Joe Biden 's administration in September 2021 - but the grant was axed with no prior notice on April 4 this year. Dr Quackenbush believes it was wrongly terminated as part of the Trump administration's crackdown on the government's bankrolling of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) research projects. He told that the funding slashes will worsen the research crisis and set medical advancement back by decades. 'Females have twice the lifetime risk of developing Alzheimer's than males do,' he added. 'Males have a much higher risk of developing colon cancer but respond better to chemotherapy. 'We know and have known for decades that many diseases are different in males or females. But nobody has been able to scratch the surface of why these differences exist and how we might be able to use these differences to better treat disease in everyone.' 'So, I submitted a grant application about four years ago in which we had proposed to better understand what drives some of these differences,' the Professor noted. The project has already contributed to nearly 30 peer-reviewed papers on new methods that shed light on sex differences in managing chronic diseases. The professor of bioinformatics at the T.H. Chan School of Public Health revealed that his team had submitted an application, asking the National Institute of Health for a renewal of their ongoing project in November 2024 during the Presidential election. But while applications are usually reviewed and approved within months, theirs kept being delayed. 'It was supposed to first be reviewed in February, then we found out it's going to be reviewed in March, then we found out it's going to be reviewed at the end of March, then we found out it was going to be reviewed in April. 'About two weeks ago, we checked on the NIH website and there was no date for the review. And we were astonished, because everything pointed to this grant being reviewed.' After seeing the sudden change in their application status, Dr Quackenbush approached their program officer for information. But much to his dismay, the official told him that the specific program they had applied to had been terminated by the federal government. This program, announced in a 2022 Notice of Funding Opportunity (NOFO) published by the NIH, solicited research grant proposals to address 'gaps in our current understanding of diseases and conditions in women are the result of the continued over-reliance on male models'. Dr Quackenbush believes it was a part of the latest budget cuts by the Trump administration as it did not align with current policy. He said: 'They're not just terminating grants, they're terminating whole programs that are funding research into areas that don't align with current policy. 'And you know, we shouldn't be in a position where the the opinions of individuals in government about what's appropriate or what's inappropriate should be dictating how we look at these fundamental scientific questions. 'The cuts that are happening are kind of across the board. It's almost happening at random. It's completely irrational. There's sort of no rhyme or reason about any of this.' On January 20, President Donald Trump signed an executive order halting all 'equity-related' federal grants or contracts in an effort to end Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI) programs. Scientists have since alleged that agency officials are being told not to approve grants that include the words 'women,' 'gender' or 'diversity' - of which comparing disease in men and women was a focus Dr Quackenbush's project. In an April 11 letter to Harvard, the Trump administration called for broad government and leadership reforms at the university and changes to its admissions policies In the US, it is estimated that nearly 1million women receive a cancer diagnosis each year, while an estimated one in two men will be diagnosed with cancer at some point in their lives. Prostate cancer is the most common form of cancer in men in the US, with 35,000 men dying the disease each year. Meanwhile, breast cancer is the most common cancer in women - killing over 40,000 each year. Since submitting the project in 2021, the Professor and his team have made 'tremendous progress' but now these cancellations threaten long-term research and training, potentially delaying future treatments by years. Their groundbreaking research has already contributed to nearly 30 other peer-reviewed papers that have focused on state-of-the-art forms of treatment and their application for a range of chronic illnesses including cancers and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease - a progressive lung disease that makes it difficult to breathe. He commented: 'If scientists [are] really committed to improving the human condition, then we should be in a position to look at health in everyone, to understand how to improve the health of everyone and that should be our fundamental priority. 'And you know, we shouldn't be in a position where the the opinions of individuals in government should override scientifically sound approaches to addressing basic questions in human health. In an April 11 letter to Harvard, the Trump administration called for broad government and leadership reforms at the university and changes to its admissions policies. It also demanded the university audit views of diversity on campus and stop recognizing some student clubs - arguing that campuses had allowed antisemitism to go unchecked at protests last year. However, Harvard President Alan Garber refused to agree and hours later, the government froze over $2.2 billion in federal scientific grants given to the University. When asked why the current administration had targeted Harvard's medical research in regards to anti-Semitic harassment, Dr Quackenbush said: 'The rationalization that is being presented to the general public is absolutely ludicrous. 'If there are allegations of anti-Semitism against Harvard or any other university, the rational approach would be to do an investigation to find out what the causes are, to find out whether or not the responses were appropriate and to take steps to remedy that, to prevent it from happening.' He also told the website that the halt in federal grants not only impacted medical research but also put generations of upcoming scientists and their discoveries in jeopardy. 'We use this [money] to train the next generation of scientists. Our PhD students and our postdoctoral fellows, the training they get is largely an apprenticeship. 'My PhD students come and work with me because we're going to go into the lab and we're going to work together, they're going to see how to do science and they're going to learn by doing it. You take away my research grants, you take away my abilities and train the next generation. 'We're seeing people who are doing science get laid off. We're seeing projects that were had been running for years being terminated. Even if they turned on the funding tomorrow, the damage is done. 'It takes years to build a research program, and as we're seeing, it takes just minutes to potentially destroy that in ways that could take even longer to rebuild. And we're not making these choices for rational reasons.'
Yahoo
11-04-2025
- Yahoo
Deliveries to Food Bank of the Southern Tier cancelled due to federal cuts
ELMIRA, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – Federal cuts have led to trucks loaded with food to feed the hungry from being halted before arriving at the Food Bank of the Southern Tier. The United States Department of Agriculture cut funding to its Commodity Credit Corporation which had provided money for the Emergency Food Assistance Program. A few weeks ago, a delivery of cheese, chicken, milk, dried fruit, turkey, eggs and pork chops to the Food Bank was cancelled. The Food Bank is headquartered in Elmira and distributes items to pantries and soup kitchens across a six-county region, including Broome and Tioga Counties. The Vice President of Community Impact, Randi Quackenbush, says the delivery would have been in addition to its typical bonus loads, and therefore considered bonus-bonus. However, the cancellation represents 14% of all bonus loads, equivalent to 215,408 meals valued at over $434,000. Last week, the Food Bank got news that it will be receiving 11 additional loads of produce and nuts from another CCC program called Section 32 worth $485, 914 and representing 258,233 meals. While Quackenbush acknowledges that that represents a slight increase over the amount that was canceled, they are still disappointed about the loss of meat and dairy proteins for people with food insecurity. Explore Chenango Outdoor Challange returns for second year Deliveries to Food Bank of the Southern Tier cancelled due to federal cuts Delhi man facing rape charges Copper cable dropped into Susquehanna River by thieves removed by NYSEG NYSP: Elmira woman arrested for driving on meth with child in car Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
‘This is life or death': Mass. scientists fear consequences of funding cuts by federal government
Massachusetts is a mecca for cutting-edge science. New changes in how the federal government plans to fund research are sending a chill through many local laboratories. Many scientists are trying to figure out if they can continue their work with deep budget cuts. 'My group and I study the evolution of disease, in particular, the evolution of cancers,' said John Quackenbush, Ph.D., the chair of the department of biostatistics at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. 'Our goal is to identify the point in time, the place where those changes occur, with the idea that we can intervene and block cancer from progressing.' While Quackenbush is usually thinking about curing cancer, he's now trying to think of a way to keep his research alive after a sudden announcement by the National Institutes of Health. The federal government's leading provider of scientific research funds said they were capping the money institutions could receive for 'indirect costs' at 15%. 'We're all scrambling to try to figure out how we would make this work. Where we would find the additional money. We can't just set up a GoFundMe page.' Indirect costs cover things like rent, utilities, support staff and grant management. Quackenbush said the federal government already has stringent oversight. 'The process of determining the indirect cost rate is a rigorous one. Every few years representatives from the government visit the institution. They do a thorough audit.' 'My hunch is that we would be better of with less, and not any government funding, but it's a controversial question. There's not a trivial right or wrong answer to that,' said Jeffrey Miron, vice president for research at the Cato Institute, a libertarian think tank that promotes less government. But that doesn't mean he thinks the Trump Administration's approach is good. 'Because they're not cutting the underlying funding. They're disrupting. They're creating a lot of confusion and anxiety and messiness of the activities, many of which are totally productive, and not having the conversation of, should we be funding this activity in the first place.' Supporters of Alzheimer's research believe they'd pass any litmus test like that. They've seen big steps forward for the roughly seven million Americans who currently have the disease. 'The scientific progress has been extraordinary,' said Jim Wessler, CEO of the MA/NH chapter of the Alzheimer's Association. 'I've been at this for 27 years and I would say the last five years have just been remarkable.' That's thanks to better diagnostic tools and the first drugs that can slow the progression of Alzheimer's Disease. Today, Wessler is worried, particularly for patients currently in clinical trials. 'With therapeutics that are now in phase 2, some even phase 3 clinical trials, and the idea that those would just be frozen for families that are looking for anything that will help their loved ones is extraordinarily concerning.' Another concern is the regional economy. The NIH distributed about $3.5 billion to 219 Massachusetts organizations in fiscal 2024. That's the highest amount per capita in the country. Every dollar invested in research here creates $2-$3 in economic activity. 'There's no doubt that the uncertainty about these federal NIH grants trickles down to every level of our economy,' said Greg Reibman, the president and CEO of the Charles River Regional Chamber. 'It will impact who's able to go out to eat at a restaurant, who is able to hire a babysitter, who's able to purchase their next car.' Some of the largest recipients of NIH grants in Massachusetts include Mass General, Brigham and Women's, Boston Children's, and the UMass Medical School in Worcester. Like many of the cost cutting measures initiated by President Trump and Elon Musk, this one is now being challenged in the courts. Download the FREE Boston 25 News app for breaking news alerts. Follow Boston 25 News on Facebook and Twitter. | Watch Boston 25 News NOW
Axios
21-02-2025
- Business
- Axios
How the Omni Hotel renovated history
As the Omni Severin Hotel underwent a $24 million renovation in 2024, its history as a safe space for Black travelers was not overlooked. Why it matters: Traveling while Black presented real challenges in America. Green Books helped Black travelers navigate those obstacles — even in northern states, where segregation was less visible but still enforced. What they're saying:"We're honored to represent those businesses who chose to make a significant commitment to inclusivity and offer a safe place to Black travelers as they stay for business or pleasure, or as a waypoint to other destinations," Steve Quackenbush, general manager for Omni Severin Hotel, told Axios. "That is a very important part of our history as a country, and it's nice to be cemented in that with other local places that have that history of inclusion tied to them as well, like the Slippery Noodle, which is also really close to us." The big picture: While most of the approximately 115 Indianapolis businesses once listed in the Green Book have been demolished, Downtown Indy's art deco hotel is an opulent reminder of an oft-forgotten history. From the 1930s through the mid-1960s, the guides served as encyclopedias of businesses and resources nationwide that welcomed Black travelers. Driving the news: Quackenbush said the Omni renovation blended Indy's Civil Rights history with modern amenities. The renovation included a reimagined hotel lobby and revamped dining options that draw inspiration from the days of train travel in a nod to the hotel's proximity to Union Station. "We really wanted to lean into that because history gives you a sense of place and authenticity," he said. "It's very rare to find a place that has done its due diligence and really designs things that make sense for the place that they're at." Zoom in: Quackenbush said considering the Omni's location at "the crossroads of the country," its importance as a travel hub during a dangerous time for Black people should be remembered. "The fact that 50% of the U.S. population is only an eight-hour drive away makes us really central to that argument," he said. "We were the first Union Station built in the United States in the 1800s, and at its peak, we had 25,000 people coming through the station every single day on 120 trains or more." Fun fact: Quackenbush said as crews were installing a new HVAC unit on the roof, a building scan revealed a tunnel running from the Omni directly to Union Station that has since been covered up. "It was going from our laundry area to Union Station underground," he said.
