American Science, Shattered: a special series from STAT

It took the Trump administration less than a year to shred the crucial alliance between universities and the federal government.

December 4, 2025 Check out STAT+

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Today STAT published the start of American Science, Shattered, a multipart series on how the Trump administration has disrupted labs, upended lives, and delayed discoveries. The first three parts are featured below, and thanks for reading.

Laura Weiler for STAT STAT+ | Trump has 'shaken the hell' out of the 80-year research pact between the government and universities. What now? After a year of grant cancellations, DEI bans, layoffs, and increased politicization of science, what comes next? Part 1 of 'American Science, Shattered.' By Megan Molteni, Anil Oza, and J. Emory Parker STAT+ | FDA to lower number of trials required for approval of drugs, other medical products FDA is moving to require one clinical study, not the standard two, for medical products before consideration for approval, commissioner says. By Lizzy Lawrence STAT+ | Vinay Prasad, FDA's vaccine regulator, waves off criticism in closed-door remarks Vinay Prasad pushes back on criticism of his vaccine policy changes, morale issues at the FDA, and his role in recent drug-approval turbulence. By Damian Garde and Lizzy Lawrence Rita Harper for STAT Working with monkeys was this lab tech's dream job. Now she's staffing an IT help desk Part 2 of STAT's 'American Science, Shattered' series looks at a lab tech who left research, becoming part of a troubling national trend By Jonathan Wosen STAT+ | Tracy Beth Høeg, Makary aide who investigated Covid vaccines, to lead FDA drug center Høeg will be the fifth person to lead the center this year, and her appointment comes after Richard Pazdur's abrupt retirement. By Lizzy Lawrence and Chelsea Cirruzzo Top Senate health leader calls CDC vaccine panel 'totally discredited' Sen. Bill Cassidy says the ACIP vaccine advisory panel, stacked with members picked by RFK Jr., should promote vaccine safety, not endanger children. By Chelsea Cirruzzo Nate Smallwood for STAT What West Virginia teens lost when CDC cuts ended their fight against Big Tobacco CDC closure of the Office on Smoking and Health hit a teenaged activist hard. Her story is told in Part 3 of the STAT series "American Science, Shattered." By Sarah Todd What to know about the new flu variant, subclade K Infectious diseases reporter Helen Branswell discusses this year's vaccine and the new flu strain that's circulating, H3N2 subclade K. By Alex Hogan

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