In Episode 4 Emily speaks with Jay Bhattacharya. Jay is a Professor of Medicine at Stanford University, who focuses much of his research on the economics of health care. He was a voice of reason in the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, first questioning the severity of the virus, then following up with his Santa Clara study, revealing the virus’s existing prevalence, drastically decreasing the perceived death rate from the disease.

Bhattacharya holds both an MD from Stanford and a Ph.D. in economics, making him uniquely adept in understanding trade-offs in healthcare. Some of his early works focused on the healthcare costs related to obesity, revealing that obese workers bear the costs of their higher healthcare usage through lower wages in jobs with health insurance.

During the COVID-19 pandemic Jay opposed lockdowns and other public health measures, which sparked significant controversy, including personal attacks and institutional pressure, such a “fact-finding” investigation by Stanford, his employer. He later co-authored the Great Barrington Declaration, which advocated for focused protection of vulnerable populations rather than blanket lockdowns. The Declaration faced swift backlash from public health authorities like Anthony Fauci and Francis Collins, as well as censorship by tech companies.

Through it all, Bhattacharya holds true to his belief in the importance of critical thinking, intellectual honesty, and the willingness to challenge authority, particularly in times of crisis. He’s found freedom in standing by his principles despite professional and personal attacks.