Kolkata-Born Jay Bhattacharya Emerges Key Pick to Lead US Health Agency in Trump 2.0

Wasington: Indian-origin Jay Bhattacharya who born in Kolkata, has emerged as top contender for the position of Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) under the upcoming administration of President-elect Donald Trump, The Washington Post reported on Saturday, citing sources familiar with the matter.

Stanford-trained physician and economist, Bhattacharya recently met with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. who is Trump’s nominee for Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS), and reportedly impressed him with his proposals to reform the NIH, as per Reuters.

Bhattacharya has advocated for redirecting the agency’s focus toward fostering innovative research and curbing the influence of long-serving career officials, the report added. Earlier this month, Trump announced Kennedy as his pick to head the HHS, which oversees the NIH and other key health agencies in the United States.

With inputs from Reuters.