Kevin Hall, a top nutrition researcher at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), said he is retiring early, claiming his work was censored after Robert F. Kennedy Jr. took the helm of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
Hall, who examined food environments and chronic diseases, said there were bipartisan goals to examine diet-related chronic diseases and highlighted Kennedy’s goal of tackling ultra-processed foods. He said he had hoped there would be an expansion of research under that leadership.
“Unfortunately, recent events have made me question whether NIH continues to be a place where I can freely conduct unbiased science,” Hall said in a post on social platform X announcing his retirement Wednesday.
Hall noted that weeks ago, he wrote to his agency leaders to express concern and requested time to speak with them about the issues he saw. He said he never heard back.
“Without any reassurance there wouldn’t be continued censorship or meddling in our research, I felt compelled to accept early retirement to preserve health insurance for my family,” he said.
Hall said he specifically experienced the reported censorship after the agency was concerned his work did not “appear to fully support preconceived narratives” about addiction to ultra-processed foods.
An HHS spokesperson told The Hill that it’s “disappointing that this individual is fabricating false claims.“
“NIH scientists have, and will, continue to conduct interviews regarding their research through written responses or other means. We remain committed to promoting gold-standard research and advancing public health priorities,” the spokesperson added. “Any attempt to paint this as censorship is a deliberate distortion of the facts.”
In the Wednesday X post, Hall noted that the NIH was a great place to work because scientists, in his view, were able to take risks and conduct studies difficult to do elsewhere.
“I’m proud of what we’ve accomplished and I’m fortunate to have had such wonderful colleagues and scientific collaborators,” he concluded. “I hope to someday return to government service and lead a research program that will continue to provide gold-standard science to make Americans healthy.”
The Hill has reached out to the NIH for comment.
Since taking the helm of the HHS, Kennedy has promoted a “Make America Healthy Again” agenda. The movement aims to revamp the country’s dietary guidelines and food industry.
Kennedy has repeatedly targeted ultra-processed foods for being a cause of disease for Americans and vowed during his Senate confirmation to remove certain foods from school lunches to protect children.
Hall’s retirement comes after several top officials have left the Food and Drug Administration and the HHS cut its staff to adhere with the administration’s plans to curb federal spending.
Updated at 12:27 p.m. EDT
