Jay Bhattacharya Emerges as Top Contender for NIH Chief

Jay Bhattacharya, a professor of health policy at Stanford University, is a top contender to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the next Trump administration, according to a source familiar with the matter. Bhattacharya was a key figure who spoke out against COVID-19 lockdowns and mandates during the pandemic. The consideration, first reported by The Washington Post, comes after Trump named Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as his nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services, the department that oversees the NIH. If Bhattacharya is ultimately nominated and confirmed to lead the agency, he would be responsible for 27 institutes and centers on issues ranging from cancer and aging to drug abuse. It would also include the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, which was formerly chaired by Dr. Anthony Fauci....