Who's Jay Bhattacharya—Kolkata-born professor frontrunner to lead US health agency
What's the story
Jay Bhattacharya, a Kolkata-born Stanford University professor of health policy, is said to be a frontrunner for the post of director at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The NIH is the US government's principal agency for medical research and innovation. Bhattacharya recently met Robert F Kennedy Jr, who is likely to head the Department of Health and Human Services under President-elect Donald Trump's administration, The Washington Post reported.
Career profile
Bhattacharya's academic background and research focus
Born in Kolkata in 1968, Bhattacharya has an MD and a PhD from Stanford University. He is a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and the director of Stanford's Center for Demography and Economics of Health and Aging. His research aims to improve health outcomes for vulnerable populations through government interventions, economic factors, and biomedical advancements.
Pandemic response
Bhattacharya's contributions to COVID-19 research and policy
Bhattacharya has authored 135 papers in fields such as medicine, economics, public health, and law. His recent work involves studying the epidemiology of COVID-19 and evaluating pandemic-related policies. In October 2020, he co-authored the Great Barrington Declaration, calling for "focused protections" rather than widespread shutdowns during the pandemic. The proposal was supported by some Republican politicians but was criticized by public health experts.
Proposed reforms
Bhattacharya's reform proposals for NIH under scrutiny
The Trump transition team has not officially announced Bhattacharya's appointment. However, his reformative ideas have struck a chord with Trump's team. Bhattacharya advocates for increasing funding for innovative research projects at the NIH while reducing the influence of long-serving career officials. He has criticized some career civil servants at the NIH for improperly shaping national policies during the pandemic.
Policy alignment
Bhattacharya's appointment aligns with Trump's health policy direction
If appointed, Bhattacharya would head an agency that has been criticized for its bureaucratic inefficiencies and lack of attention to groundbreaking research. His appointment would be in line with Trump's broader health policy direction after Kennedy's nomination as HHS secretary. The final call lies with President-elect Trump, who is known to sometimes ignore his advisers' suggestions.