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4w ago

Jay Bhattacharya Confirmed as NIH Director in Party-Line Senate Vote

The Stanford professor and COVID-19 lockdown critic takes the helm of the NIH, pledging to rebuild trust in science and refocus the agency's priorities.

Jay Bhattacharya was confirmed to lead the National Institutes of Health with a 53-47 Senate vote.
Dr. Marty Makary speaks during a screening of the HBO documentary film 'Bleed Out' on December 12, 2018 in New York City.
Martin Makary prepares to testify before the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions hearings on his nomination to be Food and Drugs Administration (FDA) Commissioner, on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC, on March 6, 2025. (Photo by SAUL LOEB / AFP) (Photo by SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images)
Jay Bhattacharya, confirmed Tuesday as director of the National Institutes of Health, is shown as he prepared to testify during his confirmation hearing in the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on March 5.

Overview

  • The U.S. Senate confirmed Dr. Jay Bhattacharya as Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) on March 25, 2025, with a 53-47 party-line vote.
  • Bhattacharya, a Stanford professor and co-author of the Great Barrington Declaration, gained prominence for his opposition to COVID-19 lockdowns and vaccine mandates.
  • He has committed to fostering scientific dissent, addressing chronic diseases, and increasing transparency within the NIH.
  • The NIH faces significant challenges, including workforce reductions and funding cuts initiated by the Trump administration, which Bhattacharya has pledged to review but not necessarily reverse.
  • Bhattacharya will collaborate with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to implement the administration's 'Make America Healthy Again' agenda, emphasizing chronic disease research.