And the new NIH Director is... Jay Bhattacharya

When a "fringe epidemiologist" takes your job

Yesterday, Jay Bhattacharya, Stanford Professor, faced questions from Senators about his potential confirmation as NIH director. Most notably, even the Democrats— who come from states where schools were shut down for years, where toddlers were forced to mask in day care, and where nurses who got COVID on the job were fired for not taking the vax— even they, largely conceded that Jay was right about COVID policy.

Jay now appears to be a shoo in for confirmation, and I suspect that Marty Makary will also sail through at FDA.

There were several important points made by Jay.

First, trust in science is at rock bottom in part because the NIH leadership worked to discredit and censor it’s critics (critics like Jay). Jay vowed never to do that. He will let his critics speak.

Second, trust in science is down because the NIH funds universities that don’t provide academic freedom to its’ faculty. Elsewhere Jay has suggested that the public has an interest in ensuring academic freedom on campus.

Third, when asked about using aborted embryonic tissue in research, Jay made an interesting point that to him one concern was whether a product would be accepted by the American people. Some citizens won’t take medical products made in this manner, and there are alternatives, so the NIH should pursue those.

Fourth, Jay said repeatedly that government should not fund research that could cause a pandemic.

Fifth, on the issue of indirects, Jay wisely said that the American people don’t trust universities with a blank check. More accountability and documentation will be needed for indirect spending.

Jay seemed to please both Democrat and Republican politicians. The world has largely accepted that he was right. It is fitting that a man who was once called a “fringe epidemiology” by the NIH direct is now poised to take his title.