Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. appointed Michael Ross, an obstetrician-gynecologist, to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) on June 11.
This announcement came shortly after Kennedy dismissed the previous 17-member committee, and Ross was highlighted in a press release as a clinical professor of obstetrics and gynecology at George Washington University (GW) and Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU).
However, officials from both institutions confirmed that Ross has not been affiliated with either university for several years.
Katelyn Deckelbaum, a spokesperson for GW, stated that Ross has not held a faculty appointment at the university since 2017.
Similarly, Brian McNeill, VCU’s spokesperson, indicated that Ross was affiliated with the university through its Inova campus until the partnership ended in 2021.
Both universities refrained from commenting on the specifics of Ross’s teaching or research during his tenure.
NBC4 Washington was the first to report on these discrepancies regarding Ross’s professional background, which has raised concerns about the integrity of his appointment.
Records from the GW School of Medicine & Health Sciences indicate that Ross does not appear in the faculty directories around the years he was said to be a professor there, specifically 2013 and 2016.
Ross’s LinkedIn profile also presents conflicting information, claiming that he will still hold a position as a GW professor until May 2025, further complicating the matter.
He has not responded to multiple requests for comment concerning his academic affiliations.
Kennedy’s announcement emphasized the credentials of his new advisory appointees, asserting that the group consists of highly qualified scientists and public health experts.
HHS spokeswoman Emily Hilliard did not confirm whether there would be updates to Ross’s biography or if he would be listed as a former professor at GW and VCU.
Hilliard remarked that the previous ACIP members acted merely as a ‘rubber stamp’ for vaccine approvals and asserted that the new committee would require more rigorous data to support vaccine recommendations.
According to Hilliard, Secretary Kennedy aims to introduce a broader spectrum of viewpoints into ACIP, moving away from what has been described as vaccine ‘groupthink.’
In the past, becoming a member of ACIP could take up to two years, according to the University of Minnesota’s Center for Infectious Disease Research and Policy.
Currently, Ross serves as an operating partner at Havencrest Capital Management, a private equity healthcare investment firm based in Dallas, Texas, a role he has been in since April 2020.
Havencrest’s website presents Ross as a healthcare executive with over 35 years of experience and mentions his previous position on the CDC’s Advisory Committee for the Prevention of Breast and Cervical Cancer but does not specify the dates of his service.
In a surprising twist, his biography there describes him as a professor of pediatrics at GW, contradicting earlier claims about his specialization in obstetrics and gynecology.
Deckelbaum did not clarify Ross’s official title during his time at GW when asked.
Ross’s LinkedIn profile shows his association as the chief medical officer at Manta Pharma, a Maryland-based company specializing in implantable medical devices, although his biography was recently removed from the company’s website.
Requests for comment from both companies regarding the inconsistencies in Ross’s various online biographies have gone unanswered.
Critically, when examining Kennedy’s other appointments to ACIP, several individuals who have criticized established vaccine protocols and promoted alternative COVID-19 treatments, like ivermectin and hydroxychloroquine, were included.
These medications have been associated with potential adverse health effects when used to treat COVID-19, according to sources including the Mayo Clinic.
Ross has publicly endorsed an open letter challenging a study that deemed ivermectin ineffective for COVID-19 treatment, reinforcing his position outside mainstream medical consensus.
This scenario raises further questions about the leadership and direction of the newly formed ACIP under Secretary Kennedy’s administration.
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