The Trump administration has missed a statutory deadline to appoint a CDC director, leaving the center's leadership in limbo.[1][2] It is currently temporarily held by Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), who will continue in that capacity until a permanent director is confirmed by the Senate.[1][2][3] Bhattacharya is a physician and health economist with no formal training in public health, but his research focuses on population well-being.[1] The search for a new director is being led by Chris Klomp, a top adviser at the Department of Health under Robert F. Kennedy Jr..[2] Bhattachary's term as interim director ends on Thursday if a successor is not named.[3] The CDC has undergone several leadership changes since Trump returned to the White House last year.[1][3]