NIH Director Visits Nashville Medical College Amid $26M Research Boost

Meharry Medical College CEO discusses COVID-19 vaccine efforts during tour.

Apr. 8, 2026 at 11:18am

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An extreme close-up X-ray photograph revealing the delicate internal components of a medical research microscope, its intricate structure glowing ghostly against a dark background, conceptually representing the advanced scientific work being conducted at Meharry Medical College.The NIH's $26 million grant to Meharry Medical College will bolster the institution's vital research capabilities and efforts to address health disparities.Today in Nashville

The director of the National Institutes of Health, Jay Bhattacharya, visited Meharry Medical College in Nashville, Tennessee, praising the institution's history of supporting medical breakthroughs and pledging to continue fostering gold-standard research and innovation to address chronic disease.

Why it matters

Meharry Medical College is a historically Black medical school that has played a crucial role in training physicians and conducting research to serve underrepresented communities. The NIH's increased investment in the college's work reflects a broader push to address health disparities and strengthen medical research capabilities at minority-serving institutions.

The details

During his visit, Bhattacharya met with Meharry Medical College President and CEO Dr. James Hildreth, who discussed the college's efforts to vaccinate the local community against COVID-19. The NIH has awarded Meharry a $26 million grant to support its research initiatives.

  • Bhattacharya visited Meharry Medical College on April 8, 2026.

The players

Jay Bhattacharya

The director of the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. James Hildreth

The president and CEO of Meharry Medical College, a historically Black medical school in Nashville, Tennessee.

Meharry Medical College

A historically Black medical school in Nashville, Tennessee, that has played a crucial role in training physicians and conducting research to serve underrepresented communities.

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What they’re saying

“I will build on the agency's long and illustrious history of supporting breakthroughs in biology and medicine by fostering gold-standard research and innovation to address the chronic disease crisis.”

— Jay Bhattacharya, Director, National Institutes of Health

The takeaway

The NIH's increased investment in Meharry Medical College's work reflects a broader push to address health disparities and strengthen medical research capabilities at minority-serving institutions, which play a vital role in training diverse healthcare providers and advancing research to serve underrepresented communities.