The director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is becoming the new acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the NIH head, will also serve as acting CDC director, a Trump administration official told The Epoch Times on Feb. 18. Bhattacharya, 58, did not immediately respond to a request for comment. He was approved by the Senate as the NIH director in early 2025 in a 53–47 party-line vote.
Jim O’Neill, who had been serving as the acting CDC director in addition to his Senate-confirmed role of deputy health secretary, departed the administration on Feb. 13. The reason for O’Neill’s exit, and Bhattacharya’s expanded responsibilities, has not been provided.
