Jay Bhattacharya Named Acting CDC Director While Retaining NIH Role

Jay Bhattacharya has been appointed acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention while continuing to lead the National Institutes of Health. This change follows recent leadership transitions at the CDC during President Trump’s second term.

The appointment was first reported by The New York Times and confirmed by an anonymous administration official. Bhattacharya will take on the CDC role after Jim O’Neill, who previously served as acting director and Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services, exited the department.

According to media reports, Bhattacharya will hold both the NIH directorship and the acting CDC director position at the same time. This dual role comes after a period of several leadership changes within the CDC in a short span.

Jim O’Neill, who Bhattacharya succeeds, is expected to be nominated to lead the National Science Foundation following his departure from the CDC. O’Neill had served as acting CDC director after Susan Monarez, who was confirmed as CDC director but was removed from the position after less than a month.

What the numbers show

• Bhattacharya is the third CDC leader since 2025
• Susan Monarez served less than one month as CDC director
• President Trump is in his second term during these changes

Susan Monarez’s tenure as CDC director was brief, with her confirmation followed by a dismissal in under a month. The CDC has now seen three different leaders since the start of President Trump’s current term, reflecting a series of rapid changes at the agency’s highest level.

The leadership transition was documented by multiple media outlets, including the Associated Press, CBS News, and STAT News, each confirming Bhattacharya’s new responsibilities and O’Neill’s expected nomination to another federal science agency.

Bhattacharya’s appointment as acting CDC director means he will oversee both the CDC and NIH simultaneously, marking a rare instance of one individual holding both roles. The recent changes follow a sequence of departures and new appointments at the CDC since early 2025.

This leadership change at the CDC is part of a broader series of transitions within federal health agencies during the current presidential administration. Bhattacharya’s dual responsibilities are set against the backdrop of ongoing adjustments in public health leadership roles.

* This article is based on publicly available information at the time of writing.