WASHINGTON, DC – Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, the nominee to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH), pledged to prioritize chronic diseases, enhance research integrity, and foster scientific debate during his Senate confirmation hearing.

Stanford University health policy professor and economist Jay Bhattacharya is poised to become the next director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) after testifying before a key US Senate committee on Wednesday.

President Trump's nominee to lead the NIH, Jay Bhattacharya, demurred on his view on Trump’s move to slashi NIH indirect cost payments to universities and other instituions.

A health economist who once famously clashed with officials at the National Institutes of Health and now is the nominee to lead the agency faced questions from senators from both parties Wednesday about drastic funding cuts and research priorities.

At a key hearing Wednesday, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya said he’s committed to providing NIH-funded scientists the resources they need. But he offered few specifics on how he’ll do that amid Trump’s plans to slash the $47 billion agency’s budget.

Jay Bhattacharya said at his confirmation hearing that President Donald Trump's executive orders don't target health initiatives for minorities.