Trump's health research nominee promises culture of free thought, transparency

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions heard testimony on Wednesday from Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, President Donald Trump’s nominee for director of the National Institutes of Health. Bhattacharya currently teaches health policy at Stanford University and is known for speaking out against the government’s vaccine policies and widespread shutdowns during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bhattacharya heard a number of committee members’ concerns around Trump’s mass firings and cuts or pauses to grant funding. NIH researchers will always have the necessary resources to do their jobs, Bhattacharya promised. When asked by Chairman Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., Bhattacharya said he did not believe that the MMR vaccine put children at risk of developing autism. Bhattacharya admitted that the recent spike in autism cases did need investigation.

What was Bhattacharya’s vision for the department? The nominee specifically emphasized the importance of regaining public trust after the global COVID-19 pandemic. Other key objectives included:

• Boosting reliability on NIH research, specifically noting a recent misconduct scandal that called NIH research into question.

• Focusing More research on chronic illnesses like diabetes and obesity.

• Establishing a culture of transparency and respect for free speech among scientists, specifically allowing for scientific dissent among researchers.

• Renewing the agency’s mission of investing in cutting-edge research.

• Regulating risky research that could possibly start a pandemic, and embrace transparency in all operations.

Dig deeper: Read Josh Schumacher’s report on Bhattacharya's initial nomination last November.