NIH Appoints John Powers III as Acting Director of NIAID Following Leadership Vacancy
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases has appointed John Powers III as acting director following weeks of leadership uncertainty after the reported departure of Jeffery Taubenberger. Powers, previously a senior adviser and Taubenberger's deputy, takes over an agency that has lacked a permanent director since Jeanne Marrazzo was ousted in March 2025. The appointment comes as multiple major U.S. health agencies face simultaneous leadership gaps, raising concerns among lawmakers during active disease outbreaks.
The NIH announced Tuesday that John Powers III will serve as acting director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, filling a vacuum left after former acting director Jeffery Taubenberger reportedly stepped down. Powers, described as bringing 'extensive experience in clinical infectious diseases, clinical research, regulatory science and public health leadership,' had been serving as a senior adviser at NIAID and as Taubenberger's deputy. NIAID, the NIH's second-largest agency, oversees $6.5 billion in funding and has not had a permanent director since Jeanne Marrazzo was removed in March 2025. The leadership instability at NIAID is part of a wider pattern across U.S. health agencies: the CDC has cycled through multiple acting directors, the FDA commissioner was ousted last month, the FDA's second-in-command position is vacant, and no surgeon general has been confirmed during President Trump's second term. Lawmakers have expressed alarm over the erosion of infectious disease expertise at a time when both a hantavirus outbreak and an Ebola outbreak in Central Africa are drawing heightened public health attention.
What's missing
Neither source clarifies the timeline or process for selecting a permanent NIAID director, nor whether Powers is being considered for the permanent role. The circumstances surrounding Taubenberger's reported departure and the reassignment of other top NIAID leaders are not fully explained.
How coverage differed
STAT News focused narrowly on the NIAID appointment itself, framing it as a resolution—however temporary—to a specific leadership gap. NBC News placed the development within a broader, more critical narrative about systemic leadership failures across multiple federal health agencies under the Trump administration, emphasizing the cumulative effect of vacancies.
What different sources said
Related
Chicago Woman's Five-Year Symptom Journey Leads to Rare Brain Tumor Diagnosis
Melony Aponte, 26, was diagnosed with a 4.5-centimeter acoustic neuroma after five years of symptoms she attributed to stress, COVID-19, and aging. The rare, noncancerous tumor—affecting roughly one in 100,000 people—had grown large enough to compress her hearing and balance nerve before it was identified via MRI in March 2025. Her case highlights how acoustic neuroma symptoms can mimic common conditions, potentially delaying diagnosis for years.
Study Finds Aging Shifts Walking Strategy Toward Stability at the Cost of Efficiency
A new study from Flinders University and the University of Canberra found that as people age, their bodies adopt a 'safety-first' walking pattern that prioritizes balance over efficient movement. Researchers analyzed gait data from 107 healthy adults aged 26 to 86, identifying increased ankle muscle co-contraction and reduced push-off power as key age-related changes. The findings suggest that fall prevention programs should target balance and coordination, not just muscle strength.
Tick Populations Surge in Urban Areas Across Northeast
Experts across the northeastern United States and Canada are warning of an unusually early and widespread tick season, with disease-carrying ticks increasingly found in urban parks and green spaces. Lyme disease cases in Canada reached a record 7,105 in 2025, up from 5,809 the previous year, while U.S. cities including Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Washington D.C., and New York are reporting rising tick activity. The expansion poses a public health challenge because urban residents are less likely to take tick-bite precautions than those in rural areas.