Reclaiming Science:
The People’s NIH
With NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya
Featured Speakers
NIH: Then & Now + Q&A
Moderator: Justin Santopietro, MAHA Institute
Jay Bhattacharya
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya took the helm as 18th director of the National Institutes of Health April 1, 2025. Dr. Bhattacharya is a renowned doctor, researcher, and health economist who previously held a tenured professorship in the medical school at Stanford University in California. His research focused on population aging and chronic disease, particularly on the health and well-being of vulnerable populations. He has published over 170 research papers in peer-reviewed journals in medicine, epidemiology, health policy, economics, statistics, science policy, and public health, as well as a leading textbook on health economics.
During the pandemic, Dr. Bhattacharya coauthored the Great Barrington Declaration, which called for opening schools and lifting lockdowns while better protecting older populations who were most vulnerable to the disease.
Dr. Bhattacharya is a longtime NIH grantee and has served as a standing member of multiple NIH review committees. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from Stanford University. He then completed medical school and earned a Ph.D. in economics also from Stanford University.
Matthew Memoli
Dr. Matthew J. Memoli is the Principal Deputy Director of the National Institutes of Health. He served as Acting NIH Director from January 22, 2025, to March 31, 2025.
Dr. Memoli has worked at NIH for more than 20 years, most recently serving as director of the Clinical Studies Unit within the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases (LID), part of NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. He previously served as a staff clinician in the same laboratory.
Dr. Memoli is an internationally known expert in the field of respiratory viruses. He has won multiple awards for his work, including two NIH Director’s Awards, multiple NIAID) Merit Awards, and a National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences Director’s Award. He also received the 2017 NIAID Outstanding Mentor Award for his work training clinical fellows and other trainees. In addition, he served on the Governor of Virginia’s Medical Advisory Board from 2022 through 2024.
Dr. Memoli is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and received his Master of Science in microbiology from Thomas Jefferson University. He completed medical school at St. George's University School of Medicine. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Georgetown University’s program at Washington Hospital Center. Dr. Memoli joined NIH in 2005 to complete his fellowship in infectious diseases.
Nicole Kleinstreuer
Dr. Nicole C. Kleinstreuer is the NIH Deputy Director for Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives. In this role, she leads the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI) within the NIH Office of the Director, which oversees trans-NIH programmatic research and strategic policy initiatives.
Dr. Kleinstreuer is internationally recognized for her leadership in developing innovative, human-relevant research strategies that advance public health protection. In prior roles, she led interagency and international efforts to promote new approach methodologies (NAMs), reduce animal testing, and integrate computational modeling, artificial intelligence, and systems toxicology into regulatory science. Her work spans translational bioinformatics, predictive modeling, and quantitative risk assessment. She has authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications and received numerous honors.
Dr. Kleinstreuer holds B.S. degrees in biomedical engineering and applied mathematics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Ph.D. in bioengineering from the University of Canterbury. She completed postdoctoral training in computational toxicology at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and holds adjunct faculty appointments at Yale University and UNC Chapel Hill. She is deeply committed to mentorship, public health protection, and scientific innovation that enhances the translation of biomedical research to real-world impact.
Anthony Letai
Dr. Anthony Letai, joined NCI as the 18th director on September 29, 2025. He previously served as professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and medical oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Dr. Letai is a physician–scientist whose work has helped transform cancer treatment and advance functional precision medicineIn 2019, the Web of Science Group named Dr. Letai in its list of Highly Cited Researchers, whose papers rank in the top 1% by citations for their field and year of publication, showing his significant impact on his area of research.
His career has focused on researching and treating hematological malignancies. His pioneering work in functional precision oncology helped advance therapies such as BCL-2 inhibitors—drugs that are now standard treatment for many adults with leukemia.
Dr. Letai received his Bachelor of Arts degree in physics from Princeton University., his M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, completed his residency in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and a fellowship in hematology and oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Cancer and Chronic Disease + Q&A
Moderator: Patriek Karayil, MAHA Institute
Jay Bhattacharya
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya took the helm as 18th director of the National Institutes of Health April 1, 2025. Dr. Bhattacharya is a renowned doctor, researcher, and health economist who previously held a tenured professorship in the medical school at Stanford University in California. His research focused on population aging and chronic disease, particularly on the health and well-being of vulnerable populations. He has published over 170 research papers in peer-reviewed journals in medicine, epidemiology, health policy, economics, statistics, science policy, and public health, as well as a leading textbook on health economics.
During the pandemic, Dr. Bhattacharya coauthored the Great Barrington Declaration, which called for opening schools and lifting lockdowns while better protecting older populations who were most vulnerable to the disease.
Dr. Bhattacharya is a longtime NIH grantee and has served as a standing member of multiple NIH review committees. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from Stanford University. He then completed medical school and earned a Ph.D. in economics also from Stanford University.
Anthony Letai
Dr. Anthony Letai, joined NCI as the 18th director on September 29, 2025. He previously served as professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and medical oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
Dr. Letai is a physician–scientist whose work has helped transform cancer treatment and advance functional precision medicineIn 2019, the Web of Science Group named Dr. Letai in its list of Highly Cited Researchers, whose papers rank in the top 1% by citations for their field and year of publication, showing his significant impact on his area of research.
His career has focused on researching and treating hematological malignancies. His pioneering work in functional precision oncology helped advance therapies such as BCL-2 inhibitors—drugs that are now standard treatment for many adults with leukemia.
Dr. Letai received his Bachelor of Arts degree in physics from Princeton University., his M.D. and Ph.D. from the University of Chicago, completed his residency in internal medicine at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and a fellowship in hematology and oncology at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
NIAID’s New Leadership + Q&A
Moderator: Paul Thacker, Investigative Journalist
Jay Bhattacharya
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya took the helm as 18th director of the National Institutes of Health April 1, 2025. Dr. Bhattacharya is a renowned doctor, researcher, and health economist who previously held a tenured professorship in the medical school at Stanford University in California. His research focused on population aging and chronic disease, particularly on the health and well-being of vulnerable populations. He has published over 170 research papers in peer-reviewed journals in medicine, epidemiology, health policy, economics, statistics, science policy, and public health, as well as a leading textbook on health economics.
During the pandemic, Dr. Bhattacharya coauthored the Great Barrington Declaration, which called for opening schools and lifting lockdowns while better protecting older populations who were most vulnerable to the disease.
Dr. Bhattacharya is a longtime NIH grantee and has served as a standing member of multiple NIH review committees. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from Stanford University. He then completed medical school and earned a Ph.D. in economics also from Stanford University.
Jeffery Taubenberger
Dr. Jeffery Taubenberger was named the Acting Director of NIAID in April 2025. He oversees a $6.6 billion budget that supports research to advance the understanding, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases.
He is a Senior Investigator in the intramural research program, and serves as Chief of the Viral Pathogenesis and Evolution Section, and Deputy Chief of the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.. He has published over 300 papers and book chapters and is a frequent speaker at national and international meetings.
Prior to coming to NIAID in 2006, he served as Chief of Molecular Pathology at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology (AFIP) in Washington, DC, a position he held since 1994. He received a B.S. in Biology from George Mason University in 1982, and an M.D. in 1986 and a Ph.D. in 1987 from the Medical College of Virginia of Virginia Commonwealth University. He did his residency in anatomic pathology at the National Cancer Institute.
Matthew Memoli
Dr. Matthew J. Memoli is the Principal Deputy Director of the National Institutes of Health. He served as Acting NIH Director from January 22, 2025, to March 31, 2025.
Dr. Memoli has worked at NIH for more than 20 years, most recently serving as director of the Clinical Studies Unit within the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases (LID), part of NIH’s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases. He previously served as a staff clinician in the same laboratory.
Dr. Memoli is an internationally known expert in the field of respiratory viruses. He has won multiple awards for his work, including two NIH Director’s Awards, multiple NIAID) Merit Awards, and a National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences Director’s Award. He also received the 2017 NIAID Outstanding Mentor Award for his work training clinical fellows and other trainees. In addition, he served on the Governor of Virginia’s Medical Advisory Board from 2022 through 2024.
Dr. Memoli is a graduate of the College of William and Mary and received his Master of Science in microbiology from Thomas Jefferson University. He completed medical school at St. George's University School of Medicine. He completed his residency in internal medicine at Georgetown University’s program at Washington Hospital Center. Dr. Memoli joined NIH in 2005 to complete his fellowship in infectious diseases.
John Powers
Dr. Powers is currently serving as the Principal SeniorAdvisor to the Acting Director of the National Institute of Allergy andInfectious Diseases at the National Institutes of Health. He is also theDirector of Collaborative Research with Leidos Biomedical Research in NIAID/NIH. Prior to his current position Dr. Powers wasthe Lead Medical Officer for Antimicrobial Drug Development at the US Food andDrug Administration. Prior to joining FDA, Dr. Powers was on faculty in theDivision of Infectious Diseases at the University of Maryland School ofMedicine. He currently holds academicpositions as a Professor of Clinical Medicine at the George WashingtonUniversity School of Medicine and Professor (affiliate) in the Department ofPharmaceutical Health Services Research, University of Maryland School ofPharmacy. Dr. Powers also actively caresfor patients and attends on the infectious diseases service at the NIH clinicalcenter.
He has been an investigator on over 60 clinical trials andauthored over 150 peer reviewed manuscripts. He has been a recipient of the US Public Health Service and US Veteran’sAdministration service medals.
Dr. Powers received his bachelor’s degree and graduatedmagna cum laude from the University of Pennsylvania. He received his medical degree and residencytraining from Temple University School of Medicine, where he also served asChief Resident. He completed hisinfectious diseases training at the University of Virginia School ofMedicine.
Open Data & The Replication Crisis + Q&A
Moderator: Patriek Karayil, MAHA Institute
Jay Bhattacharya
Dr. Jay Bhattacharya took the helm as 18th director of the National Institutes of Health April 1, 2025. Dr. Bhattacharya is a renowned doctor, researcher, and health economist who previously held a tenured professorship in the medical school at Stanford University in California. His research focused on population aging and chronic disease, particularly on the health and well-being of vulnerable populations. He has published over 170 research papers in peer-reviewed journals in medicine, epidemiology, health policy, economics, statistics, science policy, and public health, as well as a leading textbook on health economics.
During the pandemic, Dr. Bhattacharya coauthored the Great Barrington Declaration, which called for opening schools and lifting lockdowns while better protecting older populations who were most vulnerable to the disease.
Dr. Bhattacharya is a longtime NIH grantee and has served as a standing member of multiple NIH review committees. He earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in economics from Stanford University. He then completed medical school and earned a Ph.D. in economics also from Stanford University.
Nicole Kleinstreuer
Dr. Nicole C. Kleinstreuer is the NIH Deputy Director for Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives. In this role, she leads the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI) within the NIH Office of the Director, which oversees trans-NIH programmatic research and strategic policy initiatives.
Dr. Kleinstreuer is internationally recognized for her leadership in developing innovative, human-relevant research strategies that advance public health protection. In prior roles, she led interagency and international efforts to promote new approach methodologies (NAMs), reduce animal testing, and integrate computational modeling, artificial intelligence, and systems toxicology into regulatory science. Her work spans translational bioinformatics, predictive modeling, and quantitative risk assessment. She has authored over 150 peer-reviewed publications and received numerous honors.
Dr. Kleinstreuer holds B.S. degrees in biomedical engineering and applied mathematics from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a Ph.D. in bioengineering from the University of Canterbury. She completed postdoctoral training in computational toxicology at the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and holds adjunct faculty appointments at Yale University and UNC Chapel Hill. She is deeply committed to mentorship, public health protection, and scientific innovation that enhances the translation of biomedical research to real-world impact.