USA – President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford health economist known for his critiques of pandemic lockdowns and vaccine mandates, to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the nation’s largest medical research agency.
In a statement released late Tuesday, Trump announced that Bhattacharya will work alongside Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who is set to head the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), to direct the country’s medical research efforts and drive important discoveries aimed at improving public health and saving lives.
Trump emphasized that Bhattacharya, along with Kennedy, would restore the NIH to a “Gold Standard of Medical Research.”
Their mission will focus on addressing critical health challenges, such as the growing crisis of chronic illness and disease in America.
Bhattacharya, who co-authored the Great Barrington Declaration in 2020, argued that the extended public lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic were detrimental to public health.
He believed that herd immunity, rather than blanket lockdowns, would have been more effective, especially for those at higher risk.
His views were controversial and opposed by many public health experts, including former NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins.
Bhattacharya also voiced opposition to COVID-19 vaccine mandates, suggesting they harmed public trust and restricted freedoms.
If confirmed, Bhattacharya will lead an agency with an annual budget of US $48 billion, overseeing a vast array of medical research, clinical trials, and funding for health-related studies.
Trump also nominated Jim O’Neill, a former HHS official, to serve as deputy secretary at the NIH. O’Neill will focus on improving the management, transparency, and accountability of the agency.
Bhattacharya’s appointment is part of a broader strategy by Trump to overhaul the U.S. healthcare system.
Other key nominees include Dr. Mehmet Oz for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and Dr. Marty Makary for the Food and Drug Administration.
However, the nomination must still pass Senate approval before becoming official.
