UCSF Doctor Champions Restoration of Wildfire Research Grants Cut by Trump

A Fight for Public Health and Scientific Integrity

As smoke from Canadian wildfires spread across North America, western U.S. states prepared for their annual fire season. Amid this backdrop, Neeta Thakur, a researcher at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), was deeply engaged in her work to address the health impacts of wildfire smoke, particularly on minority and low-income communities. For over a decade, she had relied on federal grants without any issues. However, her path took an unexpected turn when she found herself at the forefront of a legal battle against President Donald Trump's policies that threatened scientific research focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Thakur, a pulmonologist and medical director of the Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital Chest Clinic, became the lead plaintiff among six UC researchers who won a class-action preliminary injunction in June against federal agencies attempting to enforce Trump’s executive orders that sought to eliminate such grants. The administration has since filed an appeal, and the outcome could have significant implications for both academic research and public health.

A Stand Against Political Attacks on Science

Margot Kushel, director of the UCSF Action Research Center for Health Equity, has known Thakur for over a decade. She emphasized that the fight for science should not be political. “Saving people's lives and making sure people don’t die doesn’t seem to me that it should be a partisan issue,” Kushel said.

After the abrupt funding cuts, Thakur and her colleagues felt powerless but saw the class-action lawsuit as a way to take a stand. The suit highlighted the harm not only to their own work but also to public health and research. Thakur’s study, which received over $1.3 million from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), aimed to understand the impact of increased wildfire smoke on low-income communities and communities of color—populations already facing environmental health disparities.

The Impact of Wildfire Smoke and Research Findings

Preliminary findings from Thakur’s research showed that smoke can trigger breathing emergencies among children days after exposure, which could lead to better treatment strategies. Additionally, the research indicated that smoke intensity may peak during short periods, emphasizing the need for more precise and timely safety messaging.

During the pandemic and following the murder of George Floyd, there was growing federal support for research on health equity and disparities. The EPA had solicited the grant in 2021 for Thakur and her team to explore how climate change affects underserved communities.

However, Trump’s executive orders targeted diversity, equity, and inclusion programs, arguing that they used “dangerous, demeaning, and immoral race- and sex-based preferences.” The EPA administrator stated that the administration canceled over 400 grants totaling more than $2 billion to reduce wasteful spending.

Legal Challenges and Ongoing Struggles

A U.S. District Judge in San Francisco temporarily blocked the grant terminations, covering the EPA as well as grants from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the National Science Foundation. While the ruling was not a nationwide injunction, the affected agencies reinstated the UC grants as the lawsuit continued.

Despite the temporary relief, the uncertainty has taken a toll on researchers. Thakur had to dismiss a student intern and use discretionary funds to pay her postdoctoral fellow. At least three research papers were at risk of going unpublished without the funding. Although the grants were reinstated, the process of picking up the pieces is ongoing.

Personal and Professional Consequences

Thakur’s interest in health equity stems from her childhood experiences. Growing up in Phoenix, she saw friends struggle with financial and social challenges. Her research aims to understand how where people live and what they experience impacts their health.

The suspension of grants forced her to halt efforts to find ways to protect communities from wildfire smoke. The uncertainty has also affected her team, including postdoctoral fellow Rebecca Sugrue, who is rethinking her career path due to the deprioritization of her expertise.

Long-Term Implications for Science and Society

Thakur warns that if the grants ultimately disappear, universities will lose essential programs for training students and supporting academic research. She fears that the divestment from science in these areas could have long-term consequences for future generations.

While she remains cautiously optimistic, the emotional toll of the situation has been profound. “To have all of that end suddenly, it brought me a range of emotions one thinks about when folks are experiencing grief,” she said.

The fight for scientific integrity and public health continues, with far-reaching implications for the future of research and the communities it serves.