New federal autism committee head has financial ties to leucovorin
23 September 2026 · filed under 447e0c7e8d2f
Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has named John Gaitanis, a pediatric neurologist, as the new chair of the Interagency Autism Coordinating Committee, according to STAT News. The committee helps the federal government decide how to allocate roughly $2 billion in funding.
STAT News reports that Gaitanis has financial ties to leucovorin, though the available summary does not specify the nature or extent of those ties.
This appointment follows Kennedy’s tenure at the Department of Health and Human Services, during which he has made autism research and treatment a stated priority.
The Specola’s sources do not detail the process by which Gaitanis was selected, nor do they specify what role, if any, his financial ties to leucovorin played in his appointment. The available material does not indicate whether STAT News sought comment from Gaitanis, Kennedy, or the committee, nor whether any such comment was received.
Leucovorin is a drug with existing medical uses; the supplied material does not elaborate on its connection to autism research or treatment beyond noting Gaitanis’s financial interest in it.
The committee’s $2 billion allocation authority makes the question of its leadership’s financial interests one of straightforward public record, though further reporting would be required to establish the scope and implications of the ties described.