Who is Jay Bhattacharya? Kolkata-born Stanford professor set to lead NIH under Trump administration

Kolkata-born Stanford physician and professor of health policy, Dr Jay Bhattacharya, is reportedly being considered by President-elect Donald Trump as the next director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), according to a report by the Washington Post.
If appointed, Bhattacharya would helm the NIH, a pivotal medical research agency under the US department of health and human services (HHS).This potential pick aligns with Trump’s broader health policy direction, particularly following his nomination of Robert F Kennedy Jr as secretary of HHS earlier this month.
In a post on X, Trump announced Kennedy’s nomination to lead HHS, criticizing “industrial food and drug companies” for spreading misinformation. Kennedy, a noted environmental advocate and nephew of former President John F Kennedy, has long championed public health reforms.
Bhattacharya’s vision for the NIH emphasises a transformative shift in priorities. During a recent meeting with Kennedy, Bhattacharya reportedly proposed increasing funding for innovative research projects while reducing the influence of long-serving career officials. His reformative ideas have resonated with Trump’s transition team, strengthening his candidacy.
Who is Jay Bhattacharya?
The Stanford professor is a seasoned academic with dual expertise in medicine and economics. He is also a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research and serves as the director of Stanford’s Center for Demography and Economics of Health and Aging. His research primarily addresses health policy, government programs, and the economics of biomedical innovation, with a special focus on vulnerable populations.
Dr Bhattacharya has been at the forefront of pivotal research, including the epidemiology of Covid-19 and analyses of policy responses to the pandemic. His broader academic work spans population aging, healthcare spending in developed nations, and physician performance evaluation linked to insurer payments.
He has authored over 135 peer-reviewed articles across diverse fields, including medicine, law, economics, epidemiology, and public health. A Stanford alumnus, he holds both an MD and a PhD in economics.
The appointment of Bhattacharya as NIH director would signal a continuation of this reformative approach, with a focus on reshaping the agency’s research priorities and administrative structure.