BARDA Director Departs Post Overseeing COVID-19 Vaccine Efforts

Rick Bright will no longer head the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority and will instead work at the National Institutes of Health on diagnostics for SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Written byJef Akst

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ABOVE: Former BARDA Director Rick Bright (center) with National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases Director Anthony Fauci (left) and Marilyn Serafini, former president and co-CEO of the Alliance for Health Reform
WIKIMEDIA, ALLIANCE FOR HEALTH POLICY

Update (August 9, 2021): Rick Bright will be compensated for “emotional stress and reputational damage” following the settlement of his whistleblower complaint against the federal government, though the details of the agreement remain undisclosed, The New York Times reports. Bright claims that the administration of former President Donald Trump put “politics and cronyism ahead of science” and removed him from his position overseeing COVID-19 vaccine development efforts because he pushed for more research into the anti-malaria drug hydroxychloroquine before issuing an emergency use authorization for its use for COVID-19. The Times reports that the Office of Special Counsel is still investigating those allegations.

Update (May 8): Rick Bright’s lawyers announced that the federal agency ...

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Meet the Author

Jef Akst
Jef (an unusual nickname for Jennifer) got her master’s degree from Indiana University in April 2009 studying the mating behavior of seahorses. After four years of diving off the Gulf Coast of Tampa and performing behavioral experiments at the Tennessee Aquarium in Chattanooga, she left research to pursue a career in science writing. As The Scientist's managing editor, Jef edited features and oversaw the production of the TS Digest and quarterly print magazine. In 2022, her feature on uterus transplantation earned first place in the trade category of the Awards for Excellence in Health Care Journalism. She is a member of the National Association of Science Writers.
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