“It was just like a gut punch": Harvard researcher Joan Brugge speaks about how termination of funding by Trump affected her breast cancer research

Harvard University cancer researcher Joan Brugge is speaking out against the termination of funding by the Trump administration, which has allegedly affected her work. During a Sunday episode of CBS News’s 60 Minutes, the researcher spoke with American television journalist Bill Whitaker and discussed how the dismissal of funds affects Harvard.

Recalling how she felt when she got the mail last spring listing that “two grants from the National Institute of Health” were terminated, she said:

“It was just like a gut punch. My knees buckled and I had to sit down, because I just never imagined that research focused on a disease like cancer would be canceled for a reason that was unrelated to the quality of the research, or the progress of the research, but this was across the board for issues relating to diversity and antisemitism at Harvard.”

On Sunday, November 10, 2025, the official X account for the CBS News program 60 Minutes shared a clip of Joan Brugge reflecting on her work at Harvard, writing:

“Harvard researcher Joan Brugge says her work has the potential to prevent breast cancer, but she was notified last spring that her federal funding was terminated.”

While the Harvard University cancer researcher said her work could prevent breast cancer, Joan Brugge also explained her goal for creating a treatment that will eliminate cells with genetic mutations. Meanwhile, when host Bill Whitaker asked the co-director of the school’s Ludwig Center what she would say to the American public about her research, Joan Brugge explained:

“My research has the potential to prevent their daughters, and their wives, and their cousins from developing breast cancer, and I don’t think any taxpayer would want to interfere with progress on a project like that.”

According to CBS News, Joan Brugge has applied for and won competitive federal grants for 50 years, and reportedly helped uncover how tumours form and resist treatment. She had also discovered innovative therapies. Notably, when the annual funding was cancelled, Joan was leading a team of researchers that had identified the earliest precursors of breast cancer.

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Joan Brugge criticises Trump administration for using federal funds as leverage

U.S. President Donald Trump (Image via Getty)

During her appearance on the Sunday episode of CBS News’s 60 Minutes, Joan Brugge also criticised the Trump administration for freezing federal grants worth billions of dollars. The 79-year-old president has reportedly been focused on antisemitism at Harvard.

While the world's richest university had rejected a list of demands which the government claimed was designed to curb diversity initiatives and fight anti-semitism, a survey on campus found that 40% of Jewish staff, faculty and students and 71% of muslim respondents said they felt discriminated against because of their views.

When Bill Whitaker asked the researcher whether this move concerning scientific and medical research by the Trump administration had “stalled” her research area, Brugge quipped:

“So our progress has been significantly affected. Now, I’m spending most of my time ringing doorbells to find alternate funding so that we can keep the lab going… It will eventually draw people away from the United States to carry out research, where that kind of threat and that kind of insecurity doesn't exist.”

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For the unversed, Harvard had sued the government to regain its funding after the Trump administration froze it. A federal judge then sided with Harvard and ruled the funding freeze unlawful in September.

The Trump administration has also reportedly vowed to appeal the judge’s ruling and block the school from receiving future grants.

Edited by Afreen Shaikh