Fri Dec 06 22:10:40 UTC 2024: **Controversial Health Economist Bhattacharya Nominated to Lead NIH**

WASHINGTON, D.C. – President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Stanford University health economist Jay Bhattacharya to head the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Bhattacharya, known for his work on vulnerable populations, gained prominence during the COVID-19 pandemic for co-authoring the Great Barrington Declaration. This controversial document advocated for protecting vulnerable groups while opposing restrictions on healthy individuals, arguing for a rapid achievement of herd immunity. While the declaration was initially welcomed by the Trump administration, it drew sharp criticism from public health officials, including former NIH director Francis Collins, who questioned its scientific basis.

Despite this controversy, Bhattacharya has a history of receiving NIH grants and serving on grant review panels. He has also previously criticized the NIH’s funding practices as becoming overly conservative. While his stance on Republican proposals to reform the NIH remains unclear, he has expressed a desire to restructure the agency, aiming to decentralize power and prevent domination by a small group of scientific bureaucrats.

This nomination comes amidst a week of significant activity in the science and technology policy arena. The National Science Board is holding meetings to discuss the future of U.S. science and technology, including potential updates to the National Defense Education Act. Other key events include the upcoming release of a National Academies decadal survey for solar and space physics, and meetings of the U.S. High Energy Physics Advisory Panel to review the new management contract for Fermi National Accelerator Lab. Bhattacharya’s nomination is certain to spark debate, given his past controversial positions and the critical role the NIH plays in U.S. biomedical research.

Read More