NIH reportedly loses 2 top leaders in 2 days

Two key staff members at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) are reportedly leaving the agency amid ongoing efforts by the Trump administration and Department of Government Efficiency head Elon Musk to drastically cut down the size of the federal workforce.

NIH Principal Deputy Director Lawrence Tabak told staffers in an email Tuesday he was retiring effective immediately, according to CBS News. Along with being principal deputy director, Tabak also served as the agency's deputy ethics counselor, having been appointed to both roles in 2010.

Tabak served as acting head of the NIH from December 2021 to November 2023, after the institute's former director Francis Collins stepped down.

As CBS reported, Tabak had not been expected to retire until the fall but told a colleague he felt it was necessary to retire at this time.

Just a day after Tabak's abrupt retirement, it was reported that Michael Lauer, deputy director of the National Institutes of Health’s extramural research, will leave the agency at the end of the week.

According to STAT, acting NIH Director Matthew Memoli informed staff in an email of Lauer's departure, thanking him for his "exemplary service to NIH and the American people."

The Hill has reached out to the Department of Health and Human Services and the White House for comment.

These departures are occurring as the NIH is undergoing significant upheaval. Last week, the agency issued an order slashing federal funding for research projects, alarming lawmakers, universities and institutions across the country. The order has been stayed, though biomedical researchers remain wary for the future.

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