Photo by Luis Castaneda
Participants in Northwestern University’s RADAR study—the largest longitudinal study of young men who have sex with men (YMSM) in the U.S.—received a sudden email Wednesday morning: “the RADAR study has been terminated immediately by the Trump administration.”
According to its website, RADAR is unique in its national scope and focus on LGBTQ health, particularly among young gay and bisexual men. The study published over 40 scientific papers and recruited over 1,200 participants and maintained an 80% retention rate since it launched in 2015.
Andre Shportko, a third-year Weinberg student, used to travel down to Northalsted to participate in the RADAR study. He wasn’t shocked by the recent news—funding cuts to LGBTQ research at Northwestern had been mounting—but it still stung.
“They really did unique work,” Shportko said, reflecting on how RADAR prioritized both the physical and mental health of participants. He recalled how the study even tracked his cortisol levels, an indicator of stress.
The closure comes amid a broader wave of federal actions targeting research centered on diversity, equity, and inclusion. A spokesperson for the Department of Health and Human Services told The Daily Northwestern the agency is “taking action to terminate research funding that is not aligned with NIH and HHS priorities.”
In a message to participants, the RADAR team called the news “devastating.”
“Our hearts are with you all during this difficult time,” the message read. “Your stories have shaped this study, and the RADAR team is endlessly grateful for each of you.”
The message also directed participants to mental health counseling, food assistance, and services for trans individuals.
“Please take some time to connect with your loved ones and friends, check in with community, and take care of yourself.”
Dr. Brian Mustanski, director of the RADAR program and the Institute for Sexual and Gender Minority Health and Wellbeing (ISGMH), posted publicly about the sweeping cancellations:
“The last few weeks have been dizzying,” he wrote, “as the current administration canceled nearly all of ISGMH’s NIH-funded research—projects that focused on the health of young gay and bisexual men, lesbian/bisexual women, and transgender individuals across critical areas: HIV/AIDS, mental health, cancer, cardiovascular disease, drug use, and healthy relationships.”
“The government is not going to be sharing data on our community anymore. If you aren’t counted, you don’t count,” Mutanski wrote.
Mustanski urged the public to support ongoing LGBTQ health research through donations and foundation support, noting, “These terminations are effective immediately. We must pivot to donor and foundation support.”
The RADAR study focused heavily on Chicago’s LGBTQ youth, with participant demographics that closely mirrored the city’s racial breakdown: 34% Black, 30% Hispanic, and 26% white. Researchers have emphasized the importance of this data in addressing the urban HIV and drug epidemics concentrated in the Midwest.
According to the AIDS Foundation of Chicago, disparities in HIV treatment remain stark. According to a 2022 report, 17% of new HIV diagnoses in Chicago are diagnosed as stage 3 HIV (AIDS) within the same year—yet nearly half of those late diagnoses are among Black Chicagoans.
A Northwestern University representative has confirmed the termination of the program but provided no other comment on the matter.
Edited by Bazil Frueh and Brett Rogers
