
Stanford University health researcher Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, who is President Donald Trump’s pick to head the National Institutes of Health (NIH), faced a confirmation hearing before the U.S. Senate Wednesday.
In what some are calling “poetic justice,” Bhattacharya’s appointment comes after his predecessor, Dr. Francis Collins, smeared him as a “fringe” character after he criticized masking children and co-authored the Great Barrington Declaration, which outlined objections to COVID policies Collins championed, such as lockdowns.
Bhattacharya rose to prominence after the declaration, whose authors also prioritized care for the most vulnerable groups, such as the elderly, and his appointment has prompted concerns about Collins to resurface.
On March 1, Collins released a statement announcing his retirement from the federal government effective Feb. 28.
Here are some of the top criticisms Collins has faced in recent years.