Close Menu
  • Home
  • News
    • Local
  • Opinion
  • Business
  • Health
  • Education
  • Sports
  • Podcast

Subscribe to Updates

Get the latest creative news from FooBar about art, design and business.

What's Hot

The Shutdown Standoff

Obama Fills the Void in a Fading Democratic Party

Sean “Diddy” Combs Sentenced to 50 Months as Court Weighs Acquitted Charges

Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
  • Lifestyle
  • Podcast
  • Contact Us
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest Vimeo
The Windy City Word
  • Home
  • News
    1. Local
    2. View All

    Youth curfew vote stalled in Chicago City Council’s public safety committee

    Organizers, CBA Coalition pushback on proposed luxury hotel near Obama Presidential Center

    New petition calls for state oversight and new leadership at Roseland Community Hospital

    UFC Gym to replace shuttered Esporta in Morgan Park

    HBCU Football Week 5 Roundup: Jackson State keeps the Good Times Rolling

    Unbreakable: Black Women and Mental Health

    A Question of a Government Shutdown?

    Jackson State Dominates Southern on the Road, Wins Boombox Classic

  • Opinion

    Capitalize on Slower Car Dealership Sales in 2025

    The High Cost Of Wealth Worship

    What Every Black Child Needs in the World

    Changing the Game: Westside Mom Shares Bally’s Job Experience with Son

    The Subtle Signs of Emotional Abuse: 10 Common Patterns

  • Business

    Illinois Department of Innovation & Technology supplier diversity office to host procurement webinar for vendors

    Crusader Publisher host Ukrainian Tech Businessmen eyeing Gary investment

    Sims applauds $220,000 in local Back to Business grants

    New Hire360 partnership to support diversity in local trades

    Taking your small business to the next level

  • Health

    Unbreakable: Black Women and Mental Health

    A Question of a Government Shutdown?

    Democrats Dig In: Healthcare at the Center of Looming Shutdown Fight

    Democrats Dig In: Healthcare at the Center of Looming Shutdown Fight

    COMMENTARY: Health Care is a Civil Rights Issue

  • Education

    Alabama’s CHOOSE Act: A Promise and a Responsibility

    After Plunge, Black Students Enroll in Harvard

    What Is Montessori Education?

    Nation’s Report Card Shows Drop in Reading, Math, and Science Scores

    The Lasting Impact of Bedtime Stories

  • Sports

    HBCU Football Week 5 Roundup: Jackson State keeps the Good Times Rolling

    Jackson State Dominates Southern on the Road, Wins Boombox Classic

    Conference Commissioners Discuss Name, Image, and Likeness in Washington

    Week 4 HBCU Football Recap: DeSean Jackson’s Delaware State Wins Big

    Turning the Tide: Unity, History, and the Future of College Football in Mississippi

  • Podcast
The Windy City Word
Health

NIH Pulls Plug on Black Infant Health Study

staffBy staffUpdated:No Comments3 Mins Read
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Telegram LinkedIn Tumblr Email Reddit
Share
Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest WhatsApp Email

By Stacy M. Brown
Black Press USA Senior National Correspondent

A federally funded study exploring why Black babies in Detroit are disproportionately born prematurely has been abruptly terminated by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), as part of a wider effort by the federal government to eliminate research tied to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

The study, which focused on how stress associated with racism and poverty might alter gene function and contribute to adverse birth outcomes, lost its funding under a new NIH directive targeting research areas deemed inconsistent with national priorities. In termination letters sent to researchers, the NIH claimed the project relied on “artificial and non-scientific categories” linked to DEI and asserted it did not “enhance health or advance science.”

Researchers behind the project strongly contest that explanation, calling the decision politically motivated. The cancellation aligns with a broader initiative by the Trump administration to dismantle DEI initiatives across the federal government, including within health and science agencies. Numerous projects focused on minority and LGBTQ health have been defunded under the same rationale.

An internal NIH email dated March 13, 2025, from Michelle Bulls, director in the NIH Office of Policy for Extramural Research Administration, directed senior officials to issue revised Notices of Award (NOAs) formally terminating affected grants. Bulls provided termination language and a spreadsheet of canceled projects, urging officials to act swiftly. She also made clear that “hard funds restrictions” would be applied and future years of funding eliminated.

Among the targeted research areas were studies focused on DEI, gender identity, vaccine hesitancy, and those affiliated with Chinese institutions. According to NIH guidance, DEI-based research “provides low returns on investment” and may support “unlawful discrimination.” Gender identity studies were called “unscientific,” while research into vaccine hesitancy was dismissed as not benefiting “the American people.”

The Detroit-based study’s termination has sparked concern among medical professionals and community health leaders. Dr. Alex Peahl, an OB-GYN at the University of Michigan and co-director of the Partnering for the Future Clinic—which serves pregnant patients dealing with opioid and other substance use—warned of the far-reaching impact.

“Health-related social needs are health care,” Peahl told NPR. “And if we want to improve the health of pregnant people and their families, we have to care for every part of their lives, not just the clinical pieces.”

Peahl noted that access to prenatal care is deeply tied to social determinants like transportation and food security—stressors the defunded study was directly examining. “It is really hard to come to your prenatal visit if you don’t have a car, or to take a medication if you don’t have food on the table,” she added.

Despite the NIH’s actions, a federal judge recently ruled that the agency’s cuts to minority health research were illegal. That ruling could face appeal, and its outcome may determine whether similar projects can be reinstated.

In the meantime, the research team in Detroit is scrambling to secure private funding to continue its work, even as the NIH stated in its termination notices that its decision is final unless formally appealed within 30 days.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn Reddit WhatsApp Telegram Email
Previous ArticleZohran Mamdani Tops Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo in Mayoral Primary
Next Article Trump’s Tax Plan Delivers Big Wins to the Wealthy, Cuts for the Rest in Major U.S. Cities
staff

Related Posts

HBCU Football Week 5 Roundup: Jackson State keeps the Good Times Rolling

Unbreakable: Black Women and Mental Health

A Question of a Government Shutdown?

Leave A Reply Cancel Reply

Video of the Week
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxFXtgzTu4U
Advertisement
Video of the Week
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OjfvYnUXHuI
ABOUT US

 

The Windy City Word is a weekly newspaper that projects a positive image of the community it serves. It reflects life on the Greater West Side as seen by the people who live and work here.

OUR PICKS

New York Auto Show: GR86, Audi RS 6 GT & Jeep Off-Road Thrills!

Does the 2025 Lexus TX500h F Sport The Luxury SUV Check Every Box?

From Kitchen Karaoke to Cruise Stages, Maysa Leak Keeps Creating Black Music

MOST POPULAR

Unbreakable: Black Women and Mental Health

A Question of a Government Shutdown?

Democrats Dig In: Healthcare at the Center of Looming Shutdown Fight

© 2025 The Windy City Word. Site Designed by No Regret Medai.
  • Home
  • Lifestyle
  • Podcast
  • Contact Us

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.