NIH director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya to take over as acting head of CDC

(WASHINGTON) — Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will take over as acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, a White House official and sources familiar with the matter told ABC News.

Bhattacharya will continue in his current duties as NIH director until a permanent CDC director is nominated and confirmed, according to the White House official.

He replaces Jim O’Neill, who served as acting director of the CDC from late August 2025 until he stepped down last week.

O’Neill will be nominated as the next head of the National Science Foundation, according to the White House official.