The US Senate has confirmed Jay Bhattacharya as the new Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Bhattacharya, a professor at Stanford School of Medicine, secured the position with a 53-47 vote in the 119th Congress.
US President Donald Trump had previously nominated Bhattacharya for the role, citing his extensive expertise in health policy and economics. Currently a professor at Stanford University, he is also a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and a senior fellow at multiple Stanford research institutions, including the Hoover Institution.
Bhattacharya has played a significant role in public health debates and was a co-author of the Great Barrington Declaration, which advocated against widespread lockdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic. His research covers biomedical innovation, government health programs, and medical economics.
Following his confirmation, US Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell praised Bhattacharya’s credentials, expressing confidence in his leadership at the NIH.
Bhattacharya will now work alongside newly appointed US Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., with a shared goal of restoring the NIH as the “Gold Standard of Medical Research.”
Kennedy, known for his controversial stance on vaccines, was confirmed as HHS Secretary in February 2025 with a 52-48 Senate vote. His appointment, alongside Bhattacharya’s, signals a shift in the direction of US public health policy and medical research.
