Trump Appoints Indian-Origin Covid Critic Jay Bhattacharya as NIH Director
Former U.S. President Donald Trump has nominated Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, an Indian-origin Stanford academic and prominent critic of COVID-19 lockdown policies, as the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH, a leading public funder of medical research, manages an annual budget of $47.3 billion and plays a critical role in shaping U.S. health policies. Announcing the appointment, Trump stated that Dr. Bhattacharya, in collaboration with Robert F. Kennedy Jr., would lead efforts to restore the NIH’s reputation as the “Gold Standard of Medical Research.” The new leadership aims to tackle America’s pressing health crises, particularly chronic illnesses and diseases. Who is Jay Bhattacharya? Born in Kolkata in 1968, Dr. Bhattacharya is an accomplished scholar with a dual academic foundation: a medical doctorate (1997) and a Ph.D. in economics (2000), both from Stanford University. Currently, he serves as a Professor of Health Policy at Stanford University and directs the Center for Demography and Economics of Health and Aging. Dr. Bhattacharya’s research focuses on the health and economic well-being of vulnerable populations, the impact of government programs, and biomedical innovation. He gained national attention during the COVID-19 pandemic for co-authoring the Great Barrington Declaration in October 2020, advocating for targeted protections for high-risk groups rather than widespread lockdowns. A prolific researcher, Dr. Bhattacharya has authored 135 peer-reviewed articles across various fields, including medicine, health policy, and economics. His appointment signals a shift toward addressing systemic health challenges and reevaluating pandemic response strategies in the United States. Dr. Bhattacharya’s nomination marks a significant move, blending innovative health policies with a critical lens on past approaches, as the NIH positions itself to address evolving medical and research challenges. Source: NDTV Photo Credit: NDTV
