Dr. Jay Bhattacharya is one of the country’s top medical experts and a 24-year professor of medicine at Stanford. After being censored and deplatformed during COVID for his role in opposing harsh lockdowns, he was appointed Director of the National Institutes of Health by President Trump in 2025.

a16z General Partners Erik Torenberg, Vineeta Agarwala, and Jorge Conde join Dr. Bhattacharya to discuss the administration’s role in tackling the autism crisis, how to restore public trust in health authorities, how to make the NIH more dynamic and efficient, and how to streamline publishing and restore academic freedom.

Timecodes:
00:00 Introduction
00:59 Autism Research Initiatives Announced
02:01 New Findings: Leucovorin and Tylenol in Pregnancy
04:40 Addressing Preterm Birth & Broader Health Concerns
06:10 The Replication Crisis in Science
09:26 NIH Funding, Grant Review, and the Silicon Valley Spirit
12:47 Grant and Review Process
14:26 Portfolio Management & Allocation at NIH
26:23 The Challenge of Supporting Early Career Investigators
31:23 Allocating Grants and Training Under the New Administration
35:46 Academic Freedom and Scientific Publishing
38:34 Rebuilding Public Trust in Science & Public Health
41:57 Communicating Uncertainty & Scientific Honesty
48:58 NIH Priorities: Nutrition, Chronic Disease, and AI
54:15 Advice for the Next Generation of Scientists
56:37 The Role and Limits of AI in Science

Resources:
Find Dr. Bhattacharya on X: https://x.com/DrJBhattacharya and https://x.com/NIHDirector_Jay
Find Erik on X: https://x.com/eriktorenberg
Find Jorge on X: https://x.com/JorgeCondeBio
Find Vineeta on X: https://x.com/vintweeta
Learn more about the NIH: https://www.nih.gov/

Stay Updated:
If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!

Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16z
Find a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16z
Listen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYX
Listen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711
Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenberg

Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures.