Who is Jay Bhattacharya? Meet the Latest NRI in Trump's Cabinet Team

President-elect Donald Trump has appointed Stanford academic and Covid-19 policy critic Jay Bhattacharya as the new head of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). With this, Bhattacharya joins the Trump cabinet, along with fellow NRI Vivek Ramaswamy.

The NIH is the leading medical research agency under the US Department of Health and Human Services.

Who is Jay Bhattacharya?

Jay Vhattacharya is an Indian-origin American born in kolkata in the year 1968. He earned both his MD and PhD in economics from Stanford University.

Jay Bhattacharya Career

Jay Bhattacharya is currently a professor of health policy at Stanford University, a research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research, and the director of Stanford's Center for Demography and Economics of Health and Aging.

Bhattacharya's work focuses on improving the health and well-being of vulnerable groups. He studies the connections between economics, medical advancements, and government policies.

Against Biden’s Policies During COVID-19

Throughout the pandemic, Jay Bhattacharya was an outspoken opponent of the US government's COVID-19 policies and regulations.

Jay Bhattacharya's research examined the epidemiology of COVID-19 and assessed the government's response during the pandemic. He has demanded changes to public health organizations in order to promote creativity and modify the balance of power inside bureaucracies.

Jay Bhattachrya’s Stance During COVID

Jay Bhattacharya co-authored the opinion essay "Is the Coronavirus as Deadly as They Say?" in March 2020. The essay made the case that quarantines and shelter-in-place measures were not warranted by the available data.

Jay Bhattacharya co-authored the Great Barrington Declaration in October 2020, which called for people who are not at risk of contracting the virus to resume their regular lives. Bhattacharya subsequently sued the government, alleging that it exerted pressure on social media companies to restrict his opinions.

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