A Stanford health economist. As of early 2026 he oversees both the Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and runs the National Institutes of Health, the federal research agency—managing about 27,000 employees on sites 640 miles apart. The CDC directorship has sat empty so long that even the acting-director role is vacant; Bhattacharya fills the gap while the administration struggles to find a candidate that both Robert F. Kennedy Jr and the Senate will approve.
I may not be totally perfect, but parts of me are excellent.