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Jay Bhattacharya confirmed as NIH Director
His nomination was endorsed by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions earlier this month before advancing to the full Senate vote.
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Jay Bhattacharya / senate.gov
The U.S. Senate confirmed Indian-American health researcher Jay Bhattacharya as the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in a 53-47 vote along party lines on March 25.
His nomination was endorsed by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions earlier this month before advancing to the full Senate vote.
Also Read: “American health is going backwards," Bhattacharya at Senate confirmation
Bhattacharya, a former professor at Stanford School of Medicine, is known for his research in health policy, biomedical innovation, and government programs. He also served as director of Stanford’s Center for Demography and Economics of Health and Aging.
During his confirmation hearing earlier this month, Bhattacharya emphasized the importance of open debate in scientific research. “Dissent is the very essence of science. I will foster a culture where NIH leadership will actively encourage different perspectives and create an environment where scientists — including early career scientists — can express disagreement respectfully,” he stated.
“If confirmed, I will carry out President Trump and Secretary Kennedy’s agenda of Making America Healthy Again and committing the NIH to address the dire chronic health needs of the country with gold-standard science and innovation,” Bhattacharya had said.
Bhattacharya gained national attention as a co-author of the Great Barrington Declaration, a 2020 proposal advocating for “focused protection” instead of widespread lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. His views have sparked debate within the public health community, with critics raising concerns over his stance on pandemic measures.
Bhattacharya is expected to work alongside the newly appointed U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to implement reforms at the NIH.
As the world’s largest funder of biomedical research, NIH oversees nearly $48 billion in scientific grants annually. The agency has faced funding cuts under the Trump administration, particularly in grants to private universities and research on racial inequities and transgender care.
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