On the Media S2 - Episode 2: The Harvard Plan
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Nov 7, 2025 Jay Bhattacharya, a Stanford professor and former NIH director, alongside Camila Naksarova, a Harvard Medical School researcher, dive into the turmoil caused by frozen federal grants impacting vital research. They explore the dramatic conflict between Bhattacharya and Harvard's president, Alan Garber, who was once his mentor. Conversations reveal how COVID-19 reshaped their careers, the controversial Great Barrington Declaration, and the dire consequences for academia's future, urging a reevaluation of funding priorities and the implications for scientific progress.
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Student Becomes Opponent
- Jay followed his undergraduate mentor Alan Garber into the same career path, earning the same degrees and collaborating for decades.
- Their close student-mentor relationship later frayed, turning them into adversaries over federal research funding and university policy.
Longstanding Research Partnership
- Alan hired Jay at Stanford in 2001 and later collaborated on a multi-year NIH-funded project studying Medicare costs.
- Their joint research spanned topics like cancer, aging, and drug pricing and lasted into 2016.
Pandemic Views Reshaped Careers
- Jay publicly opposed lockdowns and promoted the Great Barrington Declaration, arguing for focused protection instead of blanket restrictions.
- That stance elevated his public profile and polarized his relations with the public health establishment.