Director of National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Director of National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Jayanta “Jay” Bhattacharya is chiefly a health economist who, though credentialed as a medical doctor, has little experience in bench research or clinical settings, and lacked any experience managing a large health-related organization (unlike most prior NIH Directors).
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bhattacharya’s recommendations were widely criticized by leading public health authorities and scientists as both irresponsible and unethical, with concerns that his guidance, if followed, could have endangered millions more Americans
As a co-author of the Great Barrington Declaration, Bhattacharya advocated for a “herd immunity” approach to the COVID-19 pandemic, that is, allowing the disease to spread widely throughout the population to gain broad immunity. Experts across the globe condemned this position:
“The Great Barrington Declaration is not grounded in science and is dangerous.”
“Allowing a dangerous virus that we don’t fully understand to run free is simply unethical. It’s not an option.”
At the time of the highly contagious COVID-19 delta variant (and associated surge in mortality), Bhattacharya testified in support of Florida’s ban on mask mandates, contradicting the overwhelming consensus among doctors, public health officials, and research scientists. Later research, including from the COVID States Project and in the American Journal of Infection Control, revealed lower mortality where masks were mandated.
On Initial Actions Post-Confirmation
Soon after his confirmation, Bhattacharya. together with his boss RFK, Jr. and the President, proposed a 40% budget cut in NIH funding that would have radically hollowed out the work and impact of NIH. Congress rejected that budget, preserving funding levels for now. But that hasn’t stopped Bhattacharya from taking controversial, widely criticized actions, including:
Soon after his confirmation, Bhattacharya. together with his boss RFK, Jr. and the President, proposed a 40% budget cut in NIH funding that would have radically hollowed out the work and impact of NIH. Congress rejected that budget, preserving funding levels for now. But that hasn’t stopped Bhattacharya from taking controversial, widely criticized actions, including:
“Bhattacharya’s guidelines ‘open the door to the politicization of NIH research,’ said Jenna Norton, a program officer in the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. – KFF Health News, September 3, 2025
“NIH is the largest supporter of biomedical research in the world. It is the main piston of a biomedical discovery engine that is the envy of the globe, and yet it is not a household name. It should be.” – Francis Perkins (former NIH Director)
SOURCE: Biologos.org, accessed September 30, 2025.
The Director of NIH makes critical decisions about health research investments that ultimately impact our ability fight health threats from cancer to viruses to chronic diseases. Without early NIH investments in mRNA technology, for example, our ability to respond quickly to the COVID-19 pandemic with an effective vaccine would not have been possible, and many more lives would have been lost.
The Director of NIH plans, manages, and coordinates across the 27 NIH Institutes and Centers, and 5 Program offices, including (but not limited to):
Helping determine amounts and distribution of funding for research across diseases such as cancer, AIDS, infectious diseases, and much more
Strategic planning and implementation
Dissemination of research
