Former DARPA Official Alicia Jackson Appointed as ARPA-H Director Amid Budget Challenges

The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has officially announced the appointment of Alicia Jackson as the new director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). This significant leadership change comes at a time when the agency faces substantial budget cuts and programmatic challenges.

Jackson's Background and New Role

Alicia Jackson brings a wealth of experience to her new position at ARPA-H. She previously served as the deputy director of the Biological Technologies Office at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). In this role, Jackson oversaw investments in biodefense projects, biomanufacturing, and drug development contracts.

Most recently, Jackson founded Evernow, a women's health startup, further diversifying her expertise in the healthcare and biotechnology sectors. Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. praised Jackson as "a visionary" who will work to "accelerate the biotechnology breakthroughs we need to tackle our most complex health challenges."

ARPA-H's Mission and Recent Initiatives

ARPA-H, established in March 2022 under the Biden administration, describes itself as a funding agency dedicated to supporting research on "transformative biomedical and health breakthroughs – ranging from the molecular to the societal." The agency recently allocated up to $100 million for developing quantitative measures of mental and behavioral health, aiming to generate "more robust data" on clinical outcomes and patient responses to treatment.

Budget Cuts and Program Cancellations

Despite its ambitious goals, ARPA-H is grappling with significant financial constraints. The agency's initial $1 billion in funding from Congress has been followed by budget cuts and program cancellations:

• In August, several ARPA-H programs were terminated, including projects focused on preventing cyberattacks on hospitals and utilizing AI for medical imaging. These cuts amounted to approximately $150 million in canceled research funding.

• For the 2026 fiscal year, the House Appropriations Subcommittee has proposed reducing ARPA-H's budget to $945 million, a substantial decrease of $555 million from the previous fiscal year.

An HHS spokesperson addressed these changes, stating, "ARPA-H is constantly evaluating its programs and projects to ensure they are aligned with Administration priorities and the agency's role within the broader research & development funding ecosystem."

As Alicia Jackson steps into her role as director, she faces the dual challenge of advancing ARPA-H's innovative mission while navigating a landscape of budgetary constraints and shifting priorities in the biomedical research sector.