NIH director Jay Bhattacharya is poised to pick up a second job as acting head of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, according to the New York Times, adding yet another twist to leadership turmoil at the Department of Health and Human Services after months of friction inside federal public health agencies. The administration had not posted a formal announcement when the initial reports surfaced.
Reuters reported that administration officials said Bhattacharya would temporarily take charge of the CDC, while Axios said two administration sources told the outlet he would assume the acting post as part of a broader shakeup at HHS.
Why The Switch Matters
The CDC has not had a stable, Senate confirmed director since last summer, when HHS announced that Dr. Susan Monarez was "no longer director" following disputes over vaccine policy and staffing. The Washington Post detailed those departures and the internal clashes that followed.
The agency's official leadership page currently lists the director position as vacant, underscoring how long the nation’s main disease control agency has been without permanent leadership, according to the CDC.
Who Jay Bhattacharya Is
Bhattacharya was confirmed as NIH director in March 2025 and took office on April 1, 2025. His official biography notes his prior role as a Stanford professor and health economist and cites his co authorship of the Great Barrington Declaration. NIH lists his publications and appointment details.
If he steps in as acting CDC director while continuing to lead NIH, one person would temporarily sit at the top of both the nation’s flagship biomedical research agency and its front line disease response agency.
Political And Practical Implications
Handing the CDC to the NIH director on an interim basis raises questions about how research priorities and outbreak response will be coordinated and whether the move will calm or worsen tensions inside HHS. Axios noted that naming a permanent CDC director requires Senate confirmation, a potentially tough climb with midterm politics on the horizon.
Supporters say that putting one leader over both agencies, even temporarily, could streamline policy. Critics warn it could blur the line between long term scientific research and day to day disease surveillance and operations.
As of Wednesday evening the administration had not posted a formal statement and HHS had not responded to media questions, Reuters reported, and details about timing and specific responsibilities remained unclear.
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