NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya is launching a 'Scientific Freedom Lectures' series, with the inaugural lecture featuring a former journalist known for fringe COVID-19 theories rather than a scientist. The lecture will focus on the unproven lab-leak theory for SARS-CoV-2's origin. This follows Bhattacharya's history of controversial pandemic positions and his belief that his ideas were censored during the COVID-19 crisis.
Background
Jay Bhattacharya was a co-author of the controversial Great Barrington Declaration during the pandemic, which advocated for focused protection rather than broad restrictions. He has repeatedly claimed his scientific views were censored by government agencies.
- Source
- Ars Technica
- Published
- Mar 11, 2026 at 11:33 PM
- Score
- 6.0 / 10