U.S. science funding slashed under Trump, says Mount Sinai virologist

In a recent interview, Ana Fernández-Sesma, head of microbiology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, says the Trump administration’s policies erased roughly 30 years of progress in U.S. public science, especially after budget cuts crippled the NIH and halted universal flu-vaccine trials. She explains that researchers are now seeking grants from the Department of Defense, which offers more flexibility but raises concerns about militarizing health research.

While scientific collaboration has become more efficient, public confidence in vaccines has waned, making pandemic response increasingly politicized. Fernández-Sesma cites recent hantavirus and Ebola outbreaks as reminders of the need for robust surveillance, especially in regions like Brazil’s Pantanal where habitat loss fuels spillovers. She warns that China is capitalising on the U.S. decline, attracting top talent, and suggests Europe could benefit from an influx of scientists seeking stable funding. Finally, she stresses that despite the challenges, the scientific community must continue to communicate its work and resist censorship.