The Director's Desk

Lyme disease is the most common vector-borne disease in the United States, affecting an estimated hundreds of thousands of Americans each year. In this episode of The Director’s Desk, NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya speaks with Dr. Stephanie Haridopolos, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health within the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health and Director of National Health Communi...

Fluoride, oral health, dental infections, and the science behind cavity prevention take center stage in this episode of The Director’s Desk . NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya sits down with Dr. Jennifer Webster-Cyriaque, Acting Director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR), to discuss why dental health is essential to overall health — and what the latest NIH-suppo...

In this episode of The Director’s Desk , NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya hosts a roundtable with the primary authors of the new HHS peer-reviewed report, “Treatment for Pediatric Gender Dysphoria: Review of Evidence and Best Practices.” This comprehensive federal review evaluates the scientific evidence behind current pediatric gender dysphoria treatments—including puberty blockers, cross-sex ho...

Unlock the science behind how taste, smell, and the brain shape our health. In this episode of The Director’s Desk , NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya sits down with Dr. Paule Joseph—Lasker Clinical Research Scholar, Tenure-Track Investigator, and Chief of the Section of Sensory Science and Metabolism (SenSMet) at the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA). Dr. Joseph shares he...

In this episode of The Director’s Desk, NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya speaks with Dr. Jeffery Taubenberger, Acting Director of the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). They discuss Dr. Taubenberger’s remarkable career path and the groundbreaking research NIAID is leading to prevent, diagnose, and treat infectious, immunologic, and allergic diseases. From developing va...

In this episode of The Director’s Desk, NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya speaks with Dr. Geri Donenberg, NIH Associate Director for AIDS Research. Together, they discuss Dr. Donenberg’s inspiring career path and the latest technological breakthroughs that could revolutionize how we treat HIV infection. From decades of research to emerging therapies and health strategies, this conversation offers...

In this episode of The Director’s Desk, NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya is joined by Dr. Nicole Kleinstreuer, Acting Deputy Director for Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives at the NIH.They discuss the evolving role of animal testing in biomedical research, explore cutting-edge alternatives, and examine the ethical and scientific challenges that come with modernizing researc...

In this episode of The Director's Desk, Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), sits down with Dr. Nora Volkow, Director of the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) at the NIH. Together, they explore the science behind addiction, the ongoing opioid crisis, and the groundbreaking research shaping the future of drug abuse prevention and treatment.🔬 Topics C...

Welcome to The Director’s Desk , the official NIH podcast hosted by Dr. Jay Bhattacharya. In this episode, Dr. Bhattacharya speaks with Dr. Matt Memoli, NIH Principal Deputy Director, about his career path and early experiences as a scientist at NIH. They also discuss the current state of early-career scientists at NIH and the broader scientific community, highlighting the challenges and opportuni...