Trump Selects Dr. Jay Bhattacharya as Nominee to Lead NIH

President-elect Donald Trump has announced the nomination of Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to serve as Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), signaling a dramatic shift in leadership at America’s foremost medical research institution. Dr. Bhattacharya, a professor at Stanford School of Medicine, has been a vocal critic of pandemic policies and is known for his work on infectious diseases, health economics, and public health policy.

“Dr. Bhattacharya will work in cooperation with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to direct the Nation’s Medical Research, and to make important discoveries that will improve Health, and save lives,” Trump said in a statement on Tuesday night.

Trump described Bhattacharya and RFK Jr. as a team poised to overhaul the NIH, restoring its credibility while addressing America’s chronic health crises. “Together, Jay and RFK Jr. will restore the NIH to a Gold Standard of Medical Research as they examine the underlying causes of, and solutions to, America’s biggest Health challenges, including our Crisis of Chronic Illness and Disease,” Trump declared.

The nomination marks a significant step toward reshaping American scientific institutions, many of which have been criticized for politicization during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Bhattacharya earned both his MD and PhD in economics from Stanford University, where he is currently a professor. His extensive research has been published in leading journals across various disciplines, including medicine, public health, and economics.

A prominent voice in the fight against draconian COVID-19 restrictions, Bhattacharya co-authored the Great Barrington Declaration, which called for focused protection of vulnerable populations while allowing society to function normally. This perspective clashed with the lockdown-heavy approach endorsed by federal health agencies, earning him both praise and criticism.

Bhattacharya expressed gratitude for the nomination in a post on X (formerly Twitter): “I am honored and humbled by President @realDonaldTrump’s nomination of me to be the next @NIH director. We will reform American scientific institutions so that they are worthy of trust again and will deploy the fruits of excellent science to make America healthy again!”

Billionaire Elon Musk responded, “Congratulations, this is awesome,” reflecting growing support from influential figures outside the traditional medical community.

RFK Jr., who will collaborate with Bhattacharya at the NIH, called the appointment “spectacular.” He praised Bhattacharya as “the ideal leader to restore NIH as the international template for gold-standard science and evidence-based medicine.”

The nomination of Dr. Bhattacharya is the latest in Trump’s efforts to reshape key federal agencies and restore public trust in American institutions. With his background in health policy and economics, Bhattacharya is expected to lead reforms that prioritize transparent, evidence-based research while addressing the root causes of chronic illness.

The new leadership at the NIH could mark a turning point in the battle to depoliticize science and return to a focus on improving health outcomes for all Americans.

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