Controversial NIH director now in charge of CDC, too, in RFK Jr. shake-up

Director of the National Institutes of Health Jay Bhattacharya, joined by President Donald Trump (L) and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., at the White House on September 22, 2025 in Washington, DC. Credit: Getty | Andrew Harnik

Jay Bhattacharya, the director of the National Institutes of Health, is now also the acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, an unusual arrangement that has drawn swift criticism from researchers and public health experts.

Bhattacharya’s new role comes amid a leadership shakeup in the Department of Health and Human Services under anti-vaccine Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. It also marks the third leader for the beleaguered public health agency under Kennedy.

Susan Monarez, a microbiologist and long-time federal health official, held the position of acting director before becoming the first Senate-confirmed CDC director at the end of July. But she was in the role ...