WASHINGTON – President-elect Donald J. Trump announced Tuesday evening that he would nominate Dr. Jay Bhattacharyaa Stanford health policy professor and outspoken critic of the country's public health system will take the lead National Institutes of Health.

In a press release on social media, Trump said, “Together, Jay and RFK Jr. will return the NIH to a gold standard of medical research by studying the underlying causes and solutions to America's greatest health challenges, including our chronic disease crisis,” to Robert F. Kennedy Jr ., his decision to steer the NIH's parent agency, the Department of Health and Human Services.

If confirmed by the U.S. Senate, Bhattacharya would lead the $47.5 billion agency that’s the world's largest funder of biomedical research. NIH is a coalition of 27 institutes and centers that concentrate on cancer, infectious diseases, mental health, heart and lung disease, and substance abuse, amongst other areas.

“I’m humbled and honored that President Trump has chosen me to be the following NIH
Director,” Bhattacharya said on X. “We will reform America’s scientific institutions to make them trustworthy again and use the fruits of excellent science to make America healthy again!”

By choosing Bhattacharya, Trump is choosing someone with expertise in economics and health policy to lead the Stanford Center on the Demography and Economics of Health and Aging. As an M.D. and Ph.D. in economics, he is a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research and a research fellow at the Hoover Institution.

But he has no experience in basic or applied clinical biomedical research and has never held a government post. Over the past 50 years, the NIH has been led by renowned authorities in fields ranging from radiology to genetics. Many of them led smaller agencies before taking the helm of the NIH, a job with immense administrative responsibility.

He would be Dr. Replacing Monica M. Bertagnolli, a cancer surgeon and laboratory scientist who advocated for using artificial intelligence tools to create a research database. She also worked to make clinical trials more accessible to rural and minority patients.

Before spring 2020, Bhattacharya was a little-known academic who specialized in health policy issues such as physician reimbursement, cost and quality of care, geographic variation in physician practice, and regulatory oversight of FDA-approved products. Before joining the Stanford faculty, he was an economist at the RAND Corporation and taught courses in the economics department at UCLA.

But as the COVID pandemic broke out, Bhattacharya emerged as a leading critic of anti-pandemic measures, such as business and school closures, mask and distancing recommendations, and lockdowns.

The lockdowns and school closures led to economic and social devastation, he argued. He called for the pursuit of “herd immunity” through natural infections of those who are not sick or elderly.

He took aim at the NIH, saying it engaged in “massive suppression of scientific debate and research.” The CDC “exaggerated” the risk, he said. The FDA has approved vaccines and therapeutics with “little to no evidence, sometimes based on flawed models,” he claimed.

In response, he wrote, he experienced racist attacks and death threats during the pandemic.

He praised the result of the 2024 election, calling it a “vote against the establishment and for fundamental reform.” in a recent essay on the Unherd website. The Biden administration engaged in “orchestrated public relations campaigns,” he wrote, “and spread falsehoods and misinformation.”

Critics say he lacks the qualifications to lead the NIH.

“NIH is an institution founded on a foundation of respect for expertise,” he said Dr. Robert Morrisan epidemiologist and former professor at Tufts University School of Medicine.

“Dr. Bhattacharya has repeatedly shown a disregard for professional expertise over the course of the COVID pandemic,” he said, “rejecting feedback from experts in virology, pathology and epidemiology while conducting an epidemiological study as an economist, although he almost did not do so had no training or experience in the field.”

Lucky Trana science communicator and PhD in biochemistry based in New York City, said: “Dr. Bhattacharya has spread misinformation about vaccines and COVID, fought against life-saving public health measures during the pandemic, and is supported by well-funded organizations that threaten public health to advance corporate interests. Now more than ever, the NIH needs to be led by an expert who strongly supports groundbreaking research on new vaccines, treatments, and emerging infectious diseases. ”

It was rumored that the Trump team was initially looking for candidates who could have extensive operational experience to lead the giant health research agency. Accordingly the biopharma newsletter Endpoints NewsThe search included Moncef Slaoui, a longtime pharmaceutical executive at GSK who led Operation Warp Speed, the previous Trump administration's successful COVID-19 vaccine rollout. A source told the newsletter that Slaoui said he wasn't interested and gave other names.

But Bhattacharya's contrarian stance has won the support of many leading conservatives on Capitol Hill, who say they are looking for reformers willing to fight the bureaucracy.

“Dr. Bhattacharya understands the need for comprehensive reform following the failure of public health during the COVID-19 pandemic and has the knowledge and strength to do so,” said Rep. Brad Wenstrup (R-Ohio), Chair of the Select Subcommittee on the coronavirus pandemic, in a statement. “He would ensure that public health returns to science-based solutions – not bureaucratic malpractice.”

Bhattacharya is co-author of the controversial book Great Barrington Declarationa manifesto published in October 2020 that argued for an easing of restrictions in favor of “targeted protection” – protecting those at risk of dying but allowing younger people to return to public life and through the natural spread of the virus build immunity.

He accused Dr. Anthony Fauci, former director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases attempt to destroy the careers of dissident scientists.

Bhattacharya was a plaintiff in a lawsuit, Murthy v. Missouri, alleging Biden administration officials pressured social media to suppress content critical of the administration's COVID policies. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in June that the plaintiffs did not have standing to pursue their claims.

He is a supporter of nominee for Health and Human Services Secretary Robert Kennedy Jr. and praises Kennedy's promises to end the chronic disease epidemic in the United States and eliminate corruption in the medical and pharmaceutical industries.

If appointedBhattacharya would haBecause he has no direct authority over the CDC and FDA, which he has heavily criticized during the COVID pandemic, the CDC, FDA and NIH are separate operating divisions within the Department of Health and Human Services.

At NIH, Bhattacharya vowed to change the NIH's “top-down leadership” and limit the tenure of institute directors to encourage the influx of new ideas, he said New Max TV. He also said he would strengthen the role of replication in research and help build confidence in the reliability and generalizability of study results.

“Transform the NIH from something that … controls society,” he said on NewsMax, “to something geared toward discovering the reality to enhance the health of Americans.”

Originally published: November 26, 2024 at 6:43 pm PST

The college basketball landscape within the Bay Area looks quite different because the end of last season.

Tara VanDerveer is not any longer the coach of the Stanford women's team and is retiring after an unparalleled profession. Jerod Haase was fired after eight seasons as coach of Stanford's men's team. The Bay lost a whole lot of talent, including Aidan Mahaney's transfer to UConn and Kiki Iriafen's departure to USC.

There's also the proven fact that Cal and Stanford at the moment are within the ACC and can face Duke and Kentucky.

Here's how the Bay Area college basketball teams performed on the primary day of the season:

(San Jose State's women's teams and San Francisco men's teams will play their first games of the season on Tuesday)

Stanford (women) def. La Moyne, 107-43

Kate Paye, who has the unenviable task of replacing among the best coaches in college basketball history, didn't must sweat much as Stanford earned a surprising win over La Moyne of the Northeast Conference.

After playing sparingly in her first two seasons, redshirt junior Jzaniya Harriel finished her profession with 24 points, five rebounds and three assists. Senior guard Elena Bosgana also had a career-high 19 points despite playing only quarter-hour, while sophomore forward Nunu Agara matched her career-high 18 points.

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Stanford (men) def. Denver, 85-62

Paye isn't the one recent basketball coach on the farm. Kyle Smith began his tenure as Stanford's recent head coach with a decisive 23-point victory over Denver, this system's 14th consecutive win in a season opener.

Leading the way in which for the Cardinals was guard Oziyah Sellers, a transfer from USC who was born in Fremont and raised in Hayward. Seller, this system's first undergraduate transfer since 2009, set profession highs in points (24) and rebounds (7) in a single game while recording two steals and a block.

Senior forward Maxime Raynaud, the reigning Pac-12 Most Improved Player of the Year, posted a double-double with 16 points and 12 rebounds and a career-best six assists. Graduate guard Jaylen Blakes, a transfer from Duke, scored 12 total points and matched career-highs in assists (six), steals (three) and blocks (two), while junior guard Benny Gealer scored 12 points with career-highs of 4 and three – Pointer.

Cal def. Saint Mary's (women), 90-58

With reigning WCC Freshman of the Year Zeryhia Aokuso still recovering from offseason knee surgery, Cal survived Saint Mary's with a surprising win at Haas Pavilion.

Sophomore guard Lulu Twidale, an honorable mention Pac-12 All-Freshman last season, scored a career-high 24 points and sank five of her eight three-pointers. Senior forward Marta Suárez totaled 17 points and eight rebounds, while graduate Ioanna Krimili, the Bears' leading scorer last 12 months, had 14 points, three rebounds, two assists and a game-high +/- of +40.

At Saint Mary's, sophomore defensive back Emily Foy led the Gaels with 13 points and 7 rebounds. Senior guard Kennedy Johnson, a transfer from Idaho who averaged 14 points and 7 rebounds last season, had 12 points and five rebounds in her debut for the Gaels.

Cal def. Cal State Bakersfield, 86-73

While Cal cruised to a 13-point win in its season opener, Cal State Bakersfield played with aggression and energy for 40 minutes, unwilling to easily hand the Bears a win. Although uncomfortable, Cal left Haas Pavilion with a win and commenced Mark Madsen's second season as head coach.

Graduate guard Jovan Blacksher Jr., a transfer from Grand Canyon, led the Bears with 17 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists. Andrej Stojakovic, the son of former Sacramento standout Peja Stojakovic who transferred from Stanford, had 16 points and 6 rebounds in his Cal debut.

San Jose State (men) loses to Western Illinois 59-55

San Jose State's season-opening loss to Western Illinois within the Ohio Valley Conference won't go down as the most important upset of the night. That award belongs to No. 13 Texas A&M, which lost to UCF 64-61. However, the Spartans' four-point loss at home to the Leathernecks definitely falls into the shocking category.

The numbers tell a whole lot of the story. Despite shooting 19 more free throws than Western Illinois, San Jose State couldn't overcome an evening through which it shot 35 percent from the sphere and 19 percent from three. The Spartans felt the absence of their top three scorers from last 12 months – Myron Amey Jr. (transfer), Alvaro Cardenas (transfer), Tibet Gorener (transfer) – as they struggled offensively down the stretch.

San Francisco (women) loses to Colorado State 52-47

San Francisco entered the fourth round with a six-point lead, but was outscored 21-10 in the ultimate quarter of the sport, ultimately leading to a five-point loss to Colorado State.

Neither team shot the ball particularly well; The Dons made 27.1 percent of their field goal attempts while the Rams made 29.3 percent. Senior guard Freja Werth, WCC Freshman of the Year last season, totaled 13 points and nine rebounds in 37 minutes.

By Chrös McDougall

MINNEAPOLIS — With a visit to Paris next month, former Stanford student Brody Malone has shown he's ready for his second Olympics. Meanwhile, current Cardinal stars Asher Hong and Khoi Young still have a ways to go to secure their spots after the primary night of U.S. Olympic gymnastics team trials Thursday in Minneapolis.

Malone, a 10-time NCAA champion during his time within the Bay Area, finished second on the primary of two days of competition at Target Center, a half-point behind Fred Richard. Another performance like Sunday's should all but secure him a spot on the five-man U.S. team.

Neither Hong nor Young, the leaders of the Cardinal team that won its fifth consecutive NCAA title this spring, had a similarly convincing performance, with Hong in fifth place on the halfway point and Young a distant twelfth.

Two other members of Stanford's 2024 NCAA championship team, Colt Walker and Jeremy Bischoff, finished tenth and eleventh, respectively, while Cardinal graduate Curran Phillips took first place on his primary apparatus, parallel bars, which could still give him a likelihood at a spot on the team.

The gymnasts can be back on the Target Center on Saturday afternoon.

“The big picture is we have to be there,” Stanford coach Thom Glielmi said. “You can't expect them to go into automatic mode. You have to be here and compete.”

Malone was competing in just his third all-around competition since a serious knee injury nearly ended his profession last 12 months. The first two were on the U.S. Championships 4 weeks ago in Fort Worth, Texas, where he led each nights and claimed his third national title.

The 24-year-old from Rockmart, Georgia, seemed to be on his technique to his third all-around victory in front of an enthusiastic crowd at Target Center. On an evening that saw several gymnasts go wild, Malone remained stone-faced as he earned early points on vault, parallel bars and high bar.

Next up, nevertheless, was floor exercise, the last event Malone competed in after his injury. Malone was still finding his feet there, and a rating of 13.75 put him eighth in that event. He placed seventh on the pommel horse before ending strongly on the rings. That gave Richard, the reigning World Championship all-around bronze medalist, enough room to take the lead within the fifth round.

Provided there is no such thing as a drop in performance on Saturday, each must have likelihood of creating the Olympic team. The winner of the all-round competitions routinely gets a spot, provided he can be in the highest three on three individual apparatus. Malone got here second on the high bar and vault and third on the rings. Richard leads on the high bar and floor and is third on the parallel bars.

Aside from the possible automatic berth, the U.S. team will otherwise be chosen largely through simulations to find out the highest-scoring group for the Olympic team final in Paris.

That may very well be bad news for Young, the reigning NCAA champion. After his breakout 2023 season that saw him win three medals on the world championships, the 21-year-old from Bowie, Maryland, appeared to solidify his Olympic credentials with a third-place finish on the nationals.

His performance on Thursday undid much of that.

Starting together with his weakest discipline, rings, didn't help him, and even one of the best jump of the night within the second round didn't help him. As the evening went on, Young continued to slip down the rankings, until in the ultimate round, every little thing fell apart in his other specialty discipline. Young fell twice on the pommel horse and finished the evening with a rating of 79.6.

That hasn't been the case since last October, when he won silver medals in equestrian and show jumping on the World Championships while helping the U.S. team to the bronze medal.

“I've never seen such a routine in training, let alone in a competition,” said Glielmi. “It was very, very untypical.”

It was a job reversal of sorts, as in Fort Worth it was Hong who struggled to complete tenth, a 12 months after winning the national championship. On Thursday, the 20-year-old from Tomball, Texas, was mostly solid, scoring 83.7 points. His best performance got here on rings, where he placed second.

“Today he mostly managed six out of six,” said Glielmi.

Hong, long a rising star in U.S. men's gymnastics, won three events on the recent NCAA championships, and Glielmi said his overall difficulty level could be an asset to a U.S. team in Paris.

Competition in Minneapolis continues on Friday with the beginning of the ladies's competition, featuring 4 returning Olympians and five other World Championship medalists in one of the vital competitive women's events in recent history.