Trump’s New Director of National Institutes of Health

• Dr. Jayanta ‘Jay’ Bhattacharya, a Stanford doctor, will lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the U.S.

• Bhattacharya, a Stanford doctor, opposed lockdowns and advocated for youth herd immunity during the pandemic.

• He is the second Indian-American to be selected for a key post by President-elect Donald Trump.

• The NIH, with a $48 billion budget, is a leading agency for biomedical research.

• The NIH’s parent agency, the Department of Health and Human Services, will be headed by Robert F. Kennedy Jr.

• Bhattacharya’s views on health policy and medicine are unconventional, with both appointees having unconventional opinions.

• He is a tenured professor in health policy and economics by courtesy.

• Bhattacharya’s 2020 ‘Great Barrington Declaration’, a public health manifesto, advocated for “Focused Protection” and emphasized the importance of prevention efforts for the elderly and at-risk populations.

• His appointment marks a new chapter in American public health, with a promise to reform American scientific institutions.