Dr. Jay Bhattacharya is a physician, health economist, and academic originally born in Kolkata, India. He was born in 1968 and spent his early childhood in India before moving to the United States with his family. His father was an electrical engineer and his mother worked as a teacher. He completed his MD and then PhD in economics at Stanford University. Later served on its faculty, focusing on health policy, population health, and healthcare economics. He is currently a Professor of Medicine, Economics, and Health Research and Policy at Stanford University and a Senior Fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research.
Dr. Bhattacharya’s research has focused on infectious disease epidemiology, population aging, healthcare costs, and the evaluation of public health interventions. He gained widespread public attention during the COVID-19 pandemic as one of the co authors of the Great Barrington Declaration in October 2020, which argued for focused protection of vulnerable populations instead of widespread lockdowns. The declaration sparked global debate among scientists and public health officials.
In April 2025, he assumed office as Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) after receiving presidential nomination and Senate confirmation. In February 2026, he was appointed Acting Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
In February 2026, federal health authorities assigned Dr. Bhattacharya the additional responsibility of leading the CDC in an acting capacity. The appointment followed leadership changes within the agency. According to federal health officials, he will temporarily oversee CDC operations while continuing to serve as NIH Director until a permanent CDC Director is formally nominated and confirmed.
The NIH, headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, remains the primary federal body for biomedical and clinical research. The CDC, based in Atlanta, Georgia, oversees disease surveillance, outbreak investigation, and public health guidance across the United States.
Both agencies function under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), but their operational roles differ. The NIH funds and conducts research, while the CDC translates scientific evidence into public health action. The NIH is the world’s largest public funder of biomedical research, supporting thousands of research institutions, while the CDC plays a central role in tracking infectious diseases, responding to outbreaks, and issuing national health recommendations.
The transition occurred in February 2026 during a period of administrative restructuring within federal health agencies. Dr. Bhattacharya continues to lead the NIH from Maryland while temporarily overseeing CDC operations in Georgia.
The acting role remains in place until a permanent CDC Director is nominated and confirmed by the United States Senate. Temporary dual leadership arrangements have occasionally occurred during administrative transitions, but such appointments remain relatively uncommon given the scale and importance of both agencies.
Simultaneous leadership of both the NIH and CDC is uncommon in the United States public health system. The NIH manages large-scale biomedical research funding that informs medical advancements. The CDC monitors infectious and chronic diseases, assesses public health risks, and issues prevention guidelines.
Placing both institutions under one acting leader may influence coordination between research priorities and public health implementation. The CDC continues to manage surveillance systems, respond to outbreaks, and provide national guidance on disease prevention.
At the NIH, Dr. Bhattacharya directs research funding decisions that shape clinical trials, epidemiological studies, and translational science initiatives. At the CDC, he oversees public health surveillance systems, outbreak response mechanisms, and evidence-based recommendations.
The temporary dual role connects biomedical research strategy with national disease control efforts. However, the acting appointment is interim, pending formal confirmation of a permanent CDC Director.
The NIH and CDC represent two central pillars of the American public health framework. The NIH advances scientific discovery, while the CDC applies scientific evidence to protect population health.
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