New York: Jay Bhattacharya, an Indian American physician and economist, has been appointed acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the United States’ premier public health research organisation.
Bhattacharya, who currently heads the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will hold the CDC position simultaneously, he confirmed to NBC News, affirming several earlier reports.
He takes over the Atlanta-based CDC, which has faced leadership instability and controversies under Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. Susan Monarez, the previous CDC director, was dismissed in August after less than a month in office following clashes with Kennedy, a noted vaccine sceptic. Deputy Health Secretary Jim O’Neill had been serving as the temporary head of the CDC, a role now assumed by Bhattacharya.
Born in Kolkata, Bhattacharya holds both a medical degree and a PhD in economics. He was formerly a professor at Stanford University’s Medical School in California before being appointed to lead the NIH by President Donald Trump.
Bhattacharya gained national attention during the COVID-19 pandemic for questioning broad lockdown measures imposed by the government and challenging Anthony Fauci, a central figure in the official policy. His stance drew the attention of both Trump and Kennedy.
The CDC operates with a $9.7 billion budget, overseeing 25 centres and institutes and a global network of laboratories. Its mandate includes monitoring and controlling infectious diseases, food-borne pathogens, environmental health hazards, and non-infectious health issues such as obesity and diabetes. It also oversees occupational safety, health, and injury prevention.
The NIH, headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, comprises 27 institutes and centres and has a $48 billion budget for research conducted in its own facilities and through sponsored studies elsewhere via grants.
Another Indian American physician, Vinay Prasad, holds a prominent position in the US health establishment as director of the FDA’s Centre for Biologics Evaluation and Research, responsible for ensuring the safety, purity, and effectiveness of biologics, vaccines, and gene therapies. Prasad assumed the role in May, briefly resigned on July 29, and returned on August 9 at the FDA leadership’s request.
With IANS inputs