WASHINGTON — Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health, will also serve as acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, stepping into the role amid ongoing leadership turnover across federal health agencies.
Bhattacharya confirmed the appointment, which follows Jim O’Neill's departure. O’Neill had been serving simultaneously as acting CDC director and deputy secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He is expected to be nominated to lead the National Science Foundation.
Leadership Vacuum at CDC
The CDC has lacked a permanent political leader since August, when Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. replaced then-director Susan Monarez less than a month after her Senate confirmation. Several senior CDC officials resigned following her dismissal.
Under O’Neill’s interim leadership, the agency faced extensive staff reductions and internal restructuring, including layoffs and the consolidation of offices into a newly formed “Administration for a Healthy America.”
The permanent CDC director position now requires Senate confirmation. Any nomination is expected to face political scrutiny as health policy becomes a key issue ahead of the midterm elections.
Bhattacharya’s Profile and Controversy
Bhattacharya, a physician and health economist who previously taught at Stanford University, gained national attention during the Covid-19 pandemic as a co-author of the Great Barrington Declaration, which argued against widespread lockdowns and promoted focused protection for vulnerable populations.
Since taking charge at NIH, Bhattacharya has managed a period of budget cuts and grant freezes. He describes his approach as an effort to fight what he calls “politicized science,” while telling lawmakers he did not take on the role to cut research funding randomly.
His dual role at NIH and CDC signifies an uncommon combination of leadership at two of the country's most influential public health agencies.
Broader Health Agency Reshaping
Bhattacharya’s temporary appointment marks the latest change across agencies within HHS. Recently, new leadership has been installed at the Food and Drug Administration, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and other divisions.
However, the CDC has faced the most noticeable instability, with several leadership changes and high-profile departures during a period of agency restructuring and workforce reductions.
Bhattacharya will continue to serve as NIH director and, in an acting capacity, lead the CDC until a permanent nominee is selected and confirmed by the Senate.
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