Washington DC [US], November 24 : Physician and Standford Professor of Health Policy Jay Bhattacharya, is likely to be chosen by President-elect Donald Trump as the next director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of the United States, according to a report by The Washington Post.
The report cites three individuals familiar with the matter, who spoke on the condition of anonymity.
The NIH, a part of the US Department of Health and Human Services, is the nation's medical research agency.
Bhattacharya this week met with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. and impressed him with his ideas to transform the NIH. He outlined a vision for reforming the NIH, calling for a significant shift in the agency's priorities.
Specifically, he advocated for increasing funding for innovative research and proposed decreasing the influence of long-tenured career officials.
Bhattacharya a Professor of Health Policy at Stanford University and a research associate at the National Bureau of Economics Research. He directs Stanford's Center for Demography and Economics of Health and Aging.
His research focuses on the health and well-being of vulnerable populations, with a particular emphasis on the role of government programs, biomedical innovation, and economics. Dr. Bhattacharya's recent research focuses on the epidemiology of Covid-19 as well as an evaluation of policy responses to the epidemic. His broader research interests encompass the implications of population aging for future population health and medical spending in developed countries, the measurement of physician performance tied to physician payment by insurers, and the role played by biomedical innovation on health, as per the Stanford University.
He has published 135 articles in top peer-reviewed scientific journals in medicine, economics, health policy, epidemiology, statistics, law, and public health among other fields. He holds an MD and PhD in economics, both earned at Stanford University.
Notably, on November 14, Trump nominated Kennedy as the next United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS). Health and Human Services oversees NIH and other health agencies
"I am thrilled to announce Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as The United States Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS)," Trump said in a post on X.
"For too long, Americans have been crushed by the industrial food complex and drug companies who have engaged in deception, misinformation, and disinformation when it comes to Public Health," the post further mentioned.
Notably, Kennedy Jr is the nephew of 35th President of US, John FKennedy. He is the founder of the Waterkeeper Alliance the world's largest clean water advocacy group and served as its longtime chairman and attorney.
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