US President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, a prominent health economist and professor at Stanford University, as the Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This nomination marks a significant moment as Bhattacharya is the first Indian-American to be nominated by Trump for a high-level administrative position.

Born in Kolkata in 1968, Bhattacharya earned both his MD and PhD in Economics from Stanford University, where he has been a faculty member since 1997. He currently directs the Center for Demography and Economics of Health and Aging at Stanford and is a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research.

His work primarily addresses the health and well-being of vulnerable populations, emphasizing the interplay between government programs, biomedical innovation, and economic factors. He has authored over 130 articles in various scientific journals covering economics, public health, and health policy.

Bhattacharya gained national attention during the COVID-19 pandemic as a vocal critic of lockdowns and vaccine mandates. He co-authored the Great Barrington Declaration in October 2020, advocating for "focused protection" of vulnerable groups while allowing those at lower risk to live normally to build herd immunity. His views have sparked significant debate; while some support his approach, many public health experts have criticized it as dangerous. This was considered as a controversial stance on COVID-19.

In his new role, Bhattacharya aims to reform the NIH to restore trust in scientific institutions. He stated his commitment to deploying excellent science to improve health outcomes in America. Trump expressed confidence that Bhattacharya's leadership would help address major health challenges facing the nation, including chronic illnesses and diseases.

Bhattacharya will work alongside Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who has been nominated to lead the Department of Health and Human Services. Together, they plan to direct national medical research efforts and implement significant reforms within the NIH. Trump's campaign emphasized that their collaboration aims to make America healthy again, echoing his previous campaign slogan "Make America Great Again".