Scientific research grants were abruptly terminated for hundreds of researchers including those in the ATS community in 2025. Many of these resulted in research that had already been done and was in final stages being discarded. Important studies done with community collaboration are at risk. Neeta Thakur, MD, of the University of California San Francisco, was one such researcher. Her EPA grant to study the effects of wildfire smoke on vulnerable communities was abruptly terminated. Dr. Thakur discusses her experience receiving the cuts, collaborating with other researchers on a lawsuit to restore the funding and finish the research, and how these cuts will affect the future of health and patient outcomes with Air Health Our Health host Erika Moseson, MD, MA.

For more on funding cuts, listen to prior ATS Breathe Easy podcast episodes:
- ATS Breathe Easy - The Real Cost of Federal Budget Cuts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=49g5RBSqMkE
- ATS Breathe Easy - The Human Cost of the NIH Cuts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9dIlg_L7qqI