Secretary‑driven research priorities matter

When a health minister or HHS secretary announces a high‑priority question (e.g., ‘solve rising autism rates now’), funding, media attention, and administrative levers reallocate rapidly; that can be productive but also risks entrenching investigation into politically attractive hypotheses before robustness checks are done. A formal policy should require a rapid evidence review and pre‑registered robustness plan before elevated departmental priorities change research portfolios. — Leadership messaging at health agencies can meaningfully reorient science, funding, and public perception — so procedural safeguards are needed to avoid politicized, evidence‑light research drives.