Trump Nominates Jim O’Neill for HHS Deputy Secretary

President-elect Donald Trump announced that Jim O’Neill, former principal associate deputy secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and co-founder of the Thiel Fellowship, will serve as HHS deputy secretary in his second administration. As stated in a Trump-Vance transition press release:

I am very pleased to nominate Jim O’Neill to serve as the Deputy Secretary of Health and Human Services to work alongside Robert F. Kennedy Jr. He will oversee all operations and improve Management, Transparency, and Accountability to, Make America Healthy Again.

The press release included a biography of O’Neill, noting his previous service in HHS and private career leading regenerative medical research:

Jim previously served as the Principal Associate Deputy Secretary of HHS. He led reforms at FDA to overhaul Food Safety Regulations, and implemented the FDA Amendments Act, which improved Drug and Medical Device Safety, and ensured greater protection for Public Health. He helped design and launch the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) to improve the Health response to Emergencies and Disasters. After serving at HHS, Jim became a Managing Director of Clarium Capital, a Global Macro Investment Fund. As CEO of the Thiel Foundation, Jim funded Innovative Nonprofits that promote Technology and Freedom. By co-founding the Thiel Fellowship, he helped launch the careers of young JPs, who founded Science and Tech Companies worth Hundreds of Billions of Dollars. More recently, Jim served as CEO of SENS Research Foundation (SRF). He led efforts to research and develop Regenerative Medicine Solutions for age-related diseases, such as Alzheimer’s, Cancer, and Heart Disease. Under his leadership, SRF made progress toward rejuvenating the immune system, eliminating senescent cells, rejuvenating the neocortex, and obviating mitochondrial mutations.

Jim and RFK Jr. will fight in unison to ensure every American, and especially our most precious resource, our children, will live long and healthy lives and, Make America Great and Healthy Again!

O’Neill, who has been critical of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and its drug-approval process and food safety regulations, will work with Robert F. Kennedy Jr. to lead HHS. Kennedy responded to O’Neill’s nomination, stating in a post on X:

Thank you @realDonaldTrump. With his rich experience in government and industry, Jim O’Neill is the perfect partner to help me restore HHS to its incorruptible scientific research and public health priorities.

O’Neill said he will support RFK Jr. and work to make America healthy again, stating:

I’m extremely honored to be nominated by @realDonaldTrump and excited to support @RobertKennedyJr and the great people of @HHSGov to make America healthy again.