As COVID-19 overwhelmed the United States, Indian-American figures occupied some of the most consequential federal health policy positions in the country. Dr. Ashish Jha served as White House COVID Response Coordinator under President Biden. Stanford health economist Dr. Jay Bhattacharya co-authored the Great Barrington Declaration, which became the central reference point in the scientific and political debate over lockdown policy. In 2025, he was appointed Director of the National Institutes of Health under President Trump, becoming the first person of Indian origin to lead the agency.
