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NORTH AMERICAN Newsline DECEMBER 06, 2024 | The Indian Eye 20

Trump names Jay Bhattacharya,

Stanford Professor, to lead

National Institutes of Health

phasis on the role of government pro-
OUR BUREAU
grams, biomedical innovation, and
Washington, DC economics. Dr. Bhattacharya’s recent
research focuses on the epidemiology
S President-elect Donald of Covid-19 as well as an evaluation of
Trump on Wednesday named
UJay Bhattacharya a Professor policy responses to the epidemic. His
broader research interests encom-
at Stanford School of Medicine and pass the implications of population
of Indian origin as Director of the aging for future population health
National Institutes of Health. Bhat- and medical spending in developed
tacharya said he will reform scientific countries, the measurement of phy-
institutions so that they’re ‘worthy of sician performance tied to physician
trust’ again. payment by insurers, and the role
“I am thrilled to nominate Jay
Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, to serve as played by biomedical innovation on
health, as per the Stanford University.
Director of the National Institutes
of Health. Bhattacharya will work in
cooperation with Robert F Kenne- He has published 135 articles
dy Jr to direct the Nation’s Medical in top peer-reviewed scientific
Research, and to make important
discoveries that will improve Health, journals in medicine, econom-
and save lives,” the statement said. ics, health policy, epidemiolo-
“Bhattacharya is a Professor of
Health Policy at Stanford University, gy, statistics, law, and public
a Research Associate at the Nation- health among other fields. He
al Bureau of Economics Research,
and a Senior Fellow by courtesy at holds an MD and PhD in eco-
the Stanford Institute for Economic nomics, both earned at Stan-
Policy Research, Stanford Freeman
Spogli Institute, and the Hoover In- ford University.
stitution. He directs Stanford’s Cen-
ter for Demography and Economics tions to, America’s biggest Health icant shift in the agency’s priorities. Notably, on November 14, Trump
of Health and Aging. His Research challenges, including our Crisis of The NIH, a part of the US De- nominated Kennedy as the next Unit-
focuses on the Health and Well-Be- Chronic Illness and Disease. To- partment of Health and Human Ser- ed States Secretary of Health and
ing of vulnerable populations, em- gether, they will work hard to Make vices, is the nation’s medical research Human Services (HHS). Health and
phasizing the role of Government America Healthy Again!” agency. Bhattacharya this week met Human Services oversees NIH and
programs, Biomedical Innovation, Bhattacharya thanked Trump for with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and im- other health agencies
and Economics. Jay is a co-author of his nomination. pressed him with his ideas to trans- “I am thrilled to announce Rob-
the Great Barrington Declaration, an In a post on X, he said, “I am form the NIH. He outlined a vision ert F. Kennedy Jr. as The United
alternative to lockdowns proposed honored and humbled by President for reforming the NIH, calling for a States Secretary of Health and Hu-
in October 2020. His peer- reviewed Donald Trump’s nomination of me to significant shift in the agency’s pri- man Services (HHS),” Trump said in
research has been published in Eco- be the next NIH director. We will re- orities. Specifically, he advocated for a post on X.
nomics, Statistics, Legal, Medical, form American scientific institutions increasing funding for innovative re- “For too long, Americans have
Public Health, and Health Policy so that they are worthy of trust again search and proposed decreasing the been crushed by the industrial food
Journals. He holds an MD and PhD and will deploy the fruits of excellent influence of long-tenured career of- complex and drug companies who
in Economics from Stanford Univer- science to make America healthy ficials. have engaged in deception, misin-
sity,” the statement added. again!” Bhattacharya a Professor of formation, and disinformation when
Trump’s campaign said that The NIH, a part of the US De- Health Policy at Stanford Univer- it comes to Public Health,” the post
Bhattacharya and his team would partment of Health and Human Ser- sity and a research associate at the further mentioned.
make ‘America healthy again’, a vices, is the nation’s medical research National Bureau of Economics Re- Notably, Kennedy Jr is the neph-
play on Trump’s catchphrase- ‘Make agency. search. He directs Stanford’s Center ew of 35th President of US, John F
America Great Again’. Bhattacharya this week met with for Demography and Economics of Kennedy. He is the founder of the
“Together, Jay and RFK Jr will Robert F Kennedy Jr and impressed Health and Aging. Waterkeeper Alliance -- the world’s
restore the NIH to a Gold Standard him with his ideas to transform the His research focuses on the largest clean water advocacy group --
of Medical Research as they examine NIH. He outlined a vision for re- health and well-being of vulnerable and served as its longtime chairman
the underlying causes of, and solu- forming the NIH, calling for a signif- populations, with a particular em- and attorney.

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