Wed Nov 27 06:11:07 UTC 2024: ## Trump Appoints COVID Critic Bhattacharya to Lead NIH
**Washington D.C.** – President-elect Donald Trump has selected Indian-American physician and Stanford professor Jay Bhattacharya to head the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The announcement designates Dr. Bhattacharya, a vocal critic of the federal government’s COVID-19 response, as the new director of the $47.3 billion agency.
Dr. Bhattacharya, born in Kolkata in 1968, holds a doctorate in medicine and a PhD in economics from Stanford University. He currently serves as a Professor of Health Policy at Stanford and directs the university’s Center for Demography and Economics of Health and Aging. His extensive research spans medicine, economics, and public health, with a focus on vulnerable populations and the impact of government programs. He is also a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and has published over 135 articles in peer-reviewed journals.
Dr. Bhattacharya gained prominence for his critique of COVID-19 lockdowns, co-authoring the Great Barrington Declaration in 2020, which advocated for targeted protections for vulnerable populations while minimizing broader restrictions.
President-elect Trump stated that Dr. Bhattacharya will work alongside Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to reform the NIH, aiming to restore it to a “Gold Standard of Medical Research” and address major health challenges, including chronic illness. The appointment is expected to spark debate given Dr. Bhattacharya’s controversial stance on pandemic policies.
First Piper 