Dr. Sarah Fortune: ‘Right Now It Is Disaster Mode’ at Harvard Research

BOLDUAN That was April ░░░░░░░░ And back with us ░░░░░░░░ is Dr Sarah Fortune ░░░░░░░░ thank you It is ░░░░░░░░ to see you again ░░░░░░░░ as when we first ░░░░░░░░ it was all very ░░░░░░░░ still unfolding in real ░░░░░░░░ unclear exactly how hard ░░░░░░░░ long the impact would ░░░░░░░░ So now a month ░░░░░░░░ in what has the ░░░░░░░░ now been of these ░░░░░░░░ funds FORTUNE The impact ░░░░░░░░ been devastating The extent ░░░░░░░░ the administration s actions ░░░░░░░░ Harvard have become clear ░░░░░░░░ so not only have ░░░░░░░░ funds been frozen and ░░░░░░░░ funds that went to ░░░░░░░░ different institutions out of ░░░░░░░░ program you know funds ░░░░░░░░ the way across the ░░░░░░░░ have been frozen BOLDUAN ░░░░░░░░ you were speaking with ░░░░░░░░ producers and you told ░░░░░░░░ producers there was even ░░░░░░░░ clinical trial of a ░░░░░░░░ therapy trying to cure ░░░░░░░░ children babies infants born ░░░░░░░░ HIV infected That was ░░░░░░░░ cut midway FORTUNE It ░░░░░░░░ You know I m ░░░░░░░░ department chair and so ░░░░░░░░ ve been trying to ░░░░░░░░ with every grant that ░░░░░░░░ cut in the department ░░░░░░░░ yes one of them ░░░░░░░░ an investigator in our ░░░░░░░░ who is part of ░░░░░░░░ effort trying to cure ░░░░░░░░ of HIV babies born ░░░░░░░░ HIV and this was ░░░░░░░░ trial of a new ░░░░░░░░ therapeutic And yeah funds ░░░░░░░░ just cut The trial ░░░░░░░░ not even halfway through ░░░░░░░░ But how does that ░░░░░░░░ How do you you ░░░░░░░░ talking about children How ░░░░░░░░ you how do you ░░░░░░░░ that treatment partway through ░░░░░░░░ Okay You re talking ░░░░░░░░ babies and we don ░░░░░░░░ have a playbook for ░░░░░░░░ you stop treatment halfway ░░░░░░░░ This is totally unprecedented ░░░░░░░░ know when you set ░░░░░░░░ a trial like that ░░░░░░░░ spend years trying to ░░░░░░░░ it up to do ░░░░░░░░ ethically and then trying ░░░░░░░░ stop on a dime ░░░░░░░░ we don t have ░░░░░░░░ roadmap for that And ░░░░░░░░ honest truth is that ░░░░░░░░ the federal government has ░░░░░░░░ defaulting on its contractual ░░░░░░░░ to Harvard Harvard itself ░░░░░░░░ paying for the completion ░░░░░░░░ those studies such that ░░░░░░░░ ethical obligations to our ░░░░░░░░ subjects are maintained BOLDUAN ░░░░░░░░ s astonishing even in ░░░░░░░░ times doctor With all ░░░░░░░░ funding lost what are ░░░░░░░░ doing right now Are ░░░░░░░░ able to save your ░░░░░░░░ or is your research ░░░░░░░░ as I was afraid ░░░░░░░░ ask when we last ░░░░░░░░ is all of your ░░░░░░░░ lost FORTUNE Right now ░░░░░░░░ is disaster mode and ░░░░░░░░ re just trying to ░░░░░░░░ one foot in front ░░░░░░░░ another Honestly because the ░░░░░░░░ government defaulted on all ░░░░░░░░ their payments to Harvard ░░░░░░░░ in April even before ░░░░░░░░ contracts were terminated So ░░░░░░░░ re in this odd ░░░░░░░░ of having to figure ░░░░░░░░ how to pay the ░░░░░░░░ we owe money to ░░░░░░░░ the federal government is ░░░░░░░░ going to repay us ░░░░░░░░ costs And so a ░░░░░░░░ of the work today ░░░░░░░░ just the day to ░░░░░░░░ business of figuring out ░░░░░░░░ to move all of ░░░░░░░░ forward And then yes ░░░░░░░░ of that research my ░░░░░░░░ decade of work is ░░░░░░░░ right now and I ░░░░░░░░ have not had time ░░░░░░░░ grieve that I think ░░░░░░░░ will come later.”