STAT

At the AAAS annual meeting, "anger, uncertainty, and anxiety" about the future of science under Trump. https://trib.al/n6oy55u

"Read this email immediately” That was the subject line of emails that landed in the inboxes of thousands of workers at federal health agencies across the government beginning Friday and continuing throughout the weekend. https://trib.al/O8GQ4u2

Have you been affected by firings at federal health agencies? STAT would like to hear from you. https://trib.al/rR8Phb9

The U.S. ranks 29th in life expectancy at birth among peer nations in the OECD. Changing that goes well beyond the health care system. https://trib.al/6Ec9JlI

EXCLUSIVE: FDA cuts hit AI division, even as Trump invests in the technology The layoffs over the weekend at the Food and Drug Administration appear to have hit the AI and digital health staff particularly hard at a time when federal regulators are scrambling for ways to keep tabs on hospitals and insurers that are embracing the technologies. The terminations, with their potential to halt or hobble AI regulation, have caused alarm both inside and outside the agency, according to people interviewed by STAT. Use of AI in health care has swelled over the past decade, with doctors adapting the technology to better detect disease or run through different treatment plans. Thank you to those who have reached out about the potential impacts of the HHS layoffs. Feel free to keep doing so. https://lnkd.in/eRNf4S-t

This story has now been updated as we get more info this morning. Several employees have told me that FDA's device center was especially impacted — a significant portion of staff charged with regulating AI-enabled imaging devices was cut. The number of companies submitting AI-powered devices has skyrocketed in recent years, prompting the FDA to hire more staff with technological expertise. It’s an increasingly important area as regulators work to figure out how best to evaluate devices based on ever-changing algorithms. The cuts impacted both employees in research and regulatory positions — those who conduct AI research to keep the FDA up to date and those who make sure AI devices are both safe and effective. Two sources expressed concern that the layoffs will impede the agency’s ability to protect patients and to meet product review deadlines.  Again, if you were affected or know more about the HHS layoffs, feel free to message me on Signal at lizzylaw.53 https://lnkd.in/eyDGubK3

Hey out there -- if you have information about the job cuts at FDA, CDC, NIH or HHS at large, we'd love to hear from you. We're looking, in particular, for information about exactly where the cuts were made. You can reach me on Signal, the encrypted messaging system, at MattHerper.92. This is a safer way to share information than email or texting. If you're not worried about that, my DMs are open here and on just about every social platform.

Terrain Biosciences, backed by high-profile players in biotech, will design and supply RNA molecules for new therapies. https://trib.al/39skADl

Stunned by attacks on the scientific research system, early career scientists plan a D.C. demonstration and a national ‘Stand Up for Science’ event. https://trib.al/WnqL2zp

MyChart could eventually displace hospitals as the primary point of contact for consumers — just as online travel agencies did to hotels. https://trib.al/5cgFdRi