Jay Bhattacharya, MD, PhD, NIH director and CDC acting director, sent an introductory email to CDC staff on Friday. The email was shared with MedPage Today. In the message, Bhattacharya acknowledged the sudden changes in CDC leadership. The changes are related to the layoffs of senior leaders, including former acting director Jim O'Neill. Bhattacharya is currently heading the CDC as interim director, according to Wikipedia. The context includes employee protests and controversy surrounding the agency's leadership.