STAT+: NIH Director Bhattacharya to lead CDC after O’Neill’s exit

STAT News · Feb 18, 2026 · Collected from RSS

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WASHINGTON — National Institutes of Health Director Jay Bhattacharya will take on leadership of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention on an acting basis, an administration official not authorized to speak publicly confirmed to STAT. Bhattacharya is taking the role after the previous acting director, Health and Human Services Department Deputy Secretary Jim O’Neill, exited the department. Bhattacharya will still run NIH, as well. O’Neill will be nominated to run the National Science Foundation, the administration official said. The New York Times first reported the news. Bhattacharya will be the third leader the public health agency has had since summer. Susan Monarez, who was confirmed by the Senate, led the CDC for 28 days before she was fired by health secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. after she refused to preemptively sign off on vaccine policy. After her ouster, O’Neill became acting director. O’Neill signed off on changes to reduce the number of recommended pediatric vaccines. STAT+ Exclusive Story Already have an account? Log in This article is exclusive to STAT+ subscribers Unlock this article — plus daily intelligence on Capitol Hill and the life sciences industry — by subscribing to STAT+. Already have an account? Log in View All Plans To read the rest of this story subscribe to STAT+. Subscribe