Stanford-trained physician and economist, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, has been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as the next director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Trump announced the nomination via Truth Social, expressing excitement about Bhattacharya’s potential to work alongside Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is set to head the Department of Health and Human Services. Bhattacharya, a vocal critic of the government’s initial COVID-19 response, has previously advocated for shifting the NIH’s focus toward more innovative research and reducing the influence of long-serving officials. He met with Kennedy Jr. this week, impressing him with ideas to reform the NIH.
Bhattacharya’s nomination must be confirmed by the Senate, which will have a Republican majority in January. He has called for a reallocation of NIH funds to support innovative research and reduce the authority of entrenched NIH leaders. Kennedy Jr. has played a key role in selecting Trump’s health care team, which includes Johns Hopkins surgeon Marty Makary as head of the FDA and former congressman Dave Weldon to lead the CDC.
As a critic of the federal response to COVID-19, Bhattacharya co-authored an open letter in 2020 urging a rollback of pandemic restrictions while maintaining protections for vulnerable populations. His stance received support from many Republican lawmakers and Americans frustrated with the shutdowns. However, public health experts, including former NIH Director Francis Collins, opposed his proposal as too premature given the pandemic’s ongoing spread and lack of vaccines. Bhattacharya’s views on reshaping the NIH, including curbing the power of the 27 institutes and centers that comprise the organization, have sparked debate.
Republicans have also criticized the NIH’s handling of the pandemic and called for its restructuring, while former NIH officials, including Dr. Anthony Fauci, have defended the agency’s actions.
