Fri Dec 06 22:10:31 UTC 2024: ## Trump Names Indian-American Doctor as NIH Director
**Washington D.C.** – President-elect Donald Trump has announced the nomination of Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford University professor and prominent Indian-American health economist, as the next director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This marks the first time a high-ranking administrative post has been offered to an Indian-American under a Trump administration.
Bhattacharya, known for his expertise in health policy and infectious disease epidemiology, will work alongside Robert F. Kennedy Jr., chair of the new Commission for Vaccine Safety, to address what Trump called a “crisis of chronic illness and disease” and restore the NIH to a “Gold Standard of Medical Research.” Their focus will include reforming health policy and tackling issues like chronic illness and health disparities.
Trump praised Bhattacharya’s qualifications and commitment to improving American health outcomes. Bhattacharya co-authored the controversial Great Barrington Declaration, which advocated for a less restrictive approach to managing the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on protecting vulnerable populations while allowing lower-risk individuals to build immunity through infection. This approach was widely criticized by many public health experts, including then-NIH director Dr. Francis Collins. However, Bhattacharya recently received an award for intellectual freedom from the American Academy of Sciences and Letters for his stance.
The announcement also included the appointment of Jim O’Neill as deputy secretary of Health and Human Services, responsible for overseeing health policy and operational management.
Bhattacharya’s appointment is expected to generate significant discussion, given his past work and outspoken views on pandemic management. His nomination is a significant development within the Trump administration’s health policy agenda.
First Piper 