Virologist Jeffery Taubenberger, a close associate of former NIAID Director Anthony Fauci, has quietly risen to the top of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) despite widespread concern over his history of gain-of-function (GOF) research. The promotion places him at the helm of the $6.6 billion institute just as the Biden administration is attempting to clamp down on the very type of high-risk virus manipulation work he has championed.
Taubenberger is best known for reviving the 1918 Spanish flu virus through experiments he labeled “archaevirology,” a process that drew global criticism for its risk of triggering lab-related pandemics. His new role coincides with a four-month review mandated by President Donald Trump’s May 6 executive order to halt GOF research—a measure Taubenberger is now in a powerful position to influence.
Just a week after assuming his new role, HHS announced a half-billion-dollar investment in a flu vaccine technology Taubenberger co-invented. Though the agency claims there’s no commercial conflict, watchdogs say the virologist could personally benefit from royalties if the vaccine proves successful. Critics argue this is a clear conflict of interest, undermining the credibility of the oversight process.
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, both staunch opponents of GOF research, have spoken publicly against Taubenberger’s style of science. Yet their ability to reform the system appears hampered by entrenched institutional power and deep Fauci-era loyalties within NIH.
Emails and podcast interviews reveal Taubenberger’s ongoing support for GOF research, including aspirations to revive even older viruses from historical tissue samples. In internal communications, he referred to critics of GOF as “the complaining crowd” and worked alongside former Fauci adviser David Morens to discredit scientists raising biosecurity alarms.
Taubenberger and Morens were key defenders of EcoHealth Alliance and Peter Daszak during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, helping shield them from scrutiny and preserve federal funding despite non-compliance with NIH data requests related to research in Wuhan. Morens was later found to have attempted to delete sensitive emails and evade federal transparency laws.
Despite bipartisan criticism, Taubenberger’s influence is expanding. HHS has reallocated funds from a previous $5 billion COVID vaccine initiative into “Generation Gold Standard,” an effort centered on a vaccine platform for which Taubenberger holds patents. If successful, he stands to receive up to $150,000 annually in royalties and funding for his lab.
While his appointment is officially temporary, Taubenberger’s track record and increasing influence have raised alarms among national security and public health experts. Critics say his leadership undercuts the current administration’s public commitments to end dangerous virology experiments.
