Jay Bhattacharya (American Physician) Biography

Quick Info

Profession	Physician, Economist
Nationality	American
Birthplace	Kolkata, West Bengal, India
Date of Birth	01/01/1968
Age	58 years

Latest News about Jay Bhattacharya

01/04/2025

Jay Bhattacharya officially assumed office as the 18th Director of the National Institutes of Health. The NIH said he would oversee the agency's medical research mission and help align its priorities with the administration's health agenda.

25/03/2025

The U.S. Senate confirmed Jay Bhattacharya as Director of the National Institutes of Health after a 53-47 vote along party lines. He was nominated by President Donald Trump and later sworn in as the agency's 18th director, taking charge of the nation's medical research institution.

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Bio/Wiki

Profession(s)	Physician Economist

Physical Stats & More

Height	5' 10" (178 cm)
Eye Color	Black
Hair Color	Grey

Educational Qualification(s)

Degrees	Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in Economics (hons.) from Stanford University Doctor of Medicine (MD) from Stanford University School of Medicine Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Economics from Stanford University - Department of Economics
Schools	Claremont High School, California Stanford University, California (1990) Stanford University School of Medicine (1997) Stanford University - Department of Economics (2000)

Relationships & More

Marital Status	Married
Wife/Spouse	Catherine Su

Family

Mother	Madhuri Bhattacharya
Siblings	Brother - Deep Bhattacharya (managing director and founder of Boost Consulting)
Spouse	Catherine Su
Children	Son(s) - 2 (Matthew Bhattacharya, Benjamin Bhattacharya) Daughter - 1 (Jodie Bhattacharya)

Career

Awards, Honours	1988: Inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society 1991-1992: Michael Forman Fellowship in Economics at Stanford University 1993-1995: Agency for Health Care Policy and Research Fellowship 1994: Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award in Economics at Stanford University 1997-1998: Olin Dissertation Fellowship by the Center for Economic and Policy Research 2005: Distinguished Award for Exceptional Contributions to Education in Medicine at Stanford University 2007: Distinguished Award for Exceptional Contributions to Education in Medicine at Stanford University 2013: Dennis J. Aigner Award for the best applied paper published in the Journal of Econometrics 2013: Distinguished Award for Exceptional Contributions to Education in Medicine at Stanford University 2022: Doshi Bridgebuilder Award by the Loyola Marymount University 2024: Flame of Freedom Award by the Reason Foundation 2024: Robert J. Zimmer Medal for Intellectual Freedom by the American Academy of Sciences & Letters
Significant Contributions	Co-authored the Great Barrington Declaration promoting alternative COVID-19 strategies. Led a controversial serology study in Santa Clara County during the COVID-19 pandemic. Served as a senior fellow at various prestigious institutes. Nominated for the Director of the National Institutes of Health by Donald Trump. Appointed Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2025, becoming the first Indian American to lead the agency. Director of the Stanford Center on the Demography and Economics of Health and Aging. Research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research. Professor of Medicine at Stanford University. Senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research and the Stanford Freeman Spogli Institute. Courtesy appointments as Professor in Economics and in Health Research and Policy at Stanford University.

Awards, Honours

1988: Inducted into the Phi Beta Kappa Honor Society
1991-1992: Michael Forman Fellowship in Economics at Stanford University
1993-1995: Agency for Health Care Policy and Research Fellowship
1994: Outstanding Teaching Assistant Award in Economics at Stanford University
1997-1998: Olin Dissertation Fellowship by the Center for Economic and Policy Research
2005: Distinguished Award for Exceptional Contributions to Education in Medicine at Stanford University
2007: Distinguished Award for Exceptional Contributions to Education in Medicine at Stanford University
2013: Dennis J. Aigner Award for the best applied paper published in the Journal of Econometrics
2013: Distinguished Award for Exceptional Contributions to Education in Medicine at Stanford University
2022: Doshi Bridgebuilder Award by the Loyola Marymount University
2024: Flame of Freedom Award by the Reason Foundation
2024: Robert J. Zimmer Medal for Intellectual Freedom by the American Academy of Sciences & Letters

Significant Contributions

Co-authored the Great Barrington Declaration promoting alternative COVID-19 strategies.
Led a controversial serology study in Santa Clara County during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Served as a senior fellow at various prestigious institutes.
Nominated for the Director of the National Institutes of Health by Donald Trump.
Appointed Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in 2025, becoming the first Indian American to lead the agency.
Director of the Stanford Center on the Demography and Economics of Health and Aging.
Research associate at the National Bureau of Economic Research.
Professor of Medicine at Stanford University.
Senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research and the Stanford Freeman Spogli Institute.
Courtesy appointments as Professor in Economics and in Health Research and Policy at Stanford University.

Social Media

Facebook	https://www.facebook.com/nih.gov

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Jay was a member of the Research Advisory Panel on Japanese Health Policy Research at the Japan Foundation Center for Global Partnership in New York.
2. He served as a visiting assistant professor in the Department of Economics at UCLA from 1998 to 2001.
3. He joined RAND Corporation in 1998, later becoming a full-time economist until 2001.
4. Involved with various NIH panels and national committees reviewing health research proposals.
5. Co-founded the Academy for Science and Freedom at Hillsdale College to advocate for free speech in scientific discussions.
6. Immigrated to the United States as a child and grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area.
7. Converted to Christianity during his undergraduate years at Stanford University.

Jay Bhattacharya Physician, Economist American Kolkata, West Bengal, India