$2.4 Million Black Maternal Health Study Axed Under Trump, Threatening Vital Research

Dr. Jaime Slaughter-Acey, an epidemiologist at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was devastated when she learned her $2.4 million NIH-funded study focused on Black maternal and infant health was abruptly canceled this spring. “It was heartbreaking, and honestly, infuriating given the high rates of maternal and infant mortality in this country,” she told The Guardian. The project, known as LIFE-2, was designed to investigate how structural, cultural, and intergenerational racism biologically impacts Black mothers and their children through epigenomic changes. The cancellation notice claimed the study no longer met NIH priorities and did not promise to increase life expectancy.

The cut comes amid a broader Trump administration initiative that terminated over 1,900 NIH grants totaling more than $4.4 billion, while also dismantling the CDC’s Division of Reproductive Health. Slaughter-Acey believes this reflects “a larger pattern of political interference in science that puts the health of all people at risk, especially vulnerable populations.” Her study, which included nearly 600 Black women in Detroit, focused on how social stressors like housing insecurity and adverse childhood experiences influence pregnancy outcomes. It was also one of the few studies that prioritized Black women’s voices in epigenomic research, a field often lacking representation due to medical mistrust and systemic racism.

“We need to get past this conversation of maternal survival and move to thriving,” she said, describing the team’s goal to redefine what maternal well-being looks like beyond avoiding death. Although Michigan State University provided temporary funding to extend the study through the summer, the future remains uncertain. Without additional support, the study may pause again at the end of the year.

Despite the setback, Slaughter-Acey remains hopeful. “The voices of these 500 plus moms and babies should not die or be silenced,” she said. The team continues seeking alternative funding, encouraging public donations to keep the work alive. “When science is silenced, communities suffer,” she added, warning that such decisions risk further erasing Black mothers and infants from essential public health research.

Link: The Guardian