Physician Jay Bhattacharya tipped for NIH director role under Trump administration

Physician and health policy expert Jay Bhattacharya is reportedly set to be named as the next director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under President-elect Donald Trump.

Bhattacharya, a Stanford University professor and expert in health policy, recently outlined a vision to reform the NIH during a meeting with Robert F Kennedy Jr He proposed a shift in the agency's priorities, focusing on increasing funding for innovative research and reducing the influence of long-serving career officials.

His ideas reportedly impressed Kennedy, who is poised to become the US Secretary of Health and Human Services, a position that oversees the NIH.

A specialist in public health, Bhattacharya directs the Center for Demography and Economics of Health and Aging at Stanford. His research examines the health and well-being of vulnerable populations, with particular attention to the economic aspects of health policy and biomedical innovation. Recently, he has focused on the epidemiology of COVID-19 and the evaluation of policy responses to the pandemic.

Bhattacharya holds an MD and PhD in Economics from Stanford University and has published 135 peer-reviewed articles across a wide range of fields, including medicine, economics, and public health. His expertise in health policy and epidemiology has made him a leading figure in his field.

Bhattacharya’s potential appointment comes alongside Trump’s nomination of Robert F Kennedy Jr as Secretary of Health and Human Services. Kennedy, a well-known environmental advocate and the nephew of President John F Kennedy, has been critical of corporate influence on public health.