After Confirmation Along Party Lines, Jay Bhattacharya Sets Sights On Reforming NIH Research Funding

Photo: @Jon_Hartley_

India-West News Desk

WASHINGTON, DC – On March 27, newly confirmed NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya directed staff to compile a list of grants and contracts related to “fighting misinformation or disinformation” — a step that has recently preceded the termination of research funding under the Trump administration, statnews.com reported.

The Senate confirmed Bhattacharya on March 25 in a party-line vote after approval from the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

During his confirmation, Bhattacharya outlined a vision for a decentralized NIH that embraces dissenting ideas and transparency while prioritizing research with direct health benefits. He also expressed a desire to eliminate “frivolous” research projects.

Before his confirmation, Bhattacharya and other scientists launched a research journal aimed at challenging “gatekeeping” in medical science. His leadership at NIH signals a shift in funding priorities, aligning with the administration’s broader push to reshape public health research.

A Stanford physician and senior fellow at the university’s Institute for Economic Policy Research, Bhattacharya was a vocal critic of COVID-19 lockdowns and fiercely attacked Dr.Faucci. He co-authored the ‘Great Barrington Declaration,’ which opposed widespread lockdowns and promoted natural immunity for low-risk individuals over vaccination.