Dive Brief:
Dr. Bobby Mukkamala was sworn in Tuesday as president of major physician lobby and professional organization the American Medical Association.
Mukkamala, an otolaryngologist from Flint, Michigan, begins his tenure as president seven months after he was diagnosed with a brain tumor.
During his inauguration, he raised concerns about cuts to federal funding for biomedical research. Under the Trump administration, the HHS has culled thousands of jobs, including at the National Institutes of Health, and proposed drastic cuts at the research center.
Dive Insight:
During his speech Tuesday, Mukkamala discussed his brain cancer diagnosis last year, noting he was able to take on the president role thanks to “incredible advancements” in biomedical research supported by investments from the federal government.
“Millions of people like me, none of whom have this privilege, this stage, and this microphone are alive tonight thanks to decades of government investment into research and exploratory science at leading universities and institutes,” he said in prepared remarks. “We cannot lose sight of what medicine and science have achieved in our lifetimes.”
His comments come as the Trump administration has moved to slash the workforce and the budget of the HHS. The White House released a more detailed budget proposal last month that cut the budget of the NIH, the world’s top funder of biomedical research, nearly in half.
Mukkamala also said cuts to insurance programs currently under consideration in Congress would remove coverage from the most vulnerable.
Late last month, the House passed a reconciliation bill that includes hundreds of billions of dollars in reduced funding to the safety-net insurance program Medicaid, alongside other healthcare policy changes.
Nearly 11 million more people would be uninsured in 2034 if the bill passes, according to the Congressional Budget Office.
“This is not a path toward greatness … it is retreating from our moral obligation to provide compassionate care for all who need it,” Mukkamala said.
Mukkamala has been active in the AMA since residency, according to a press release. He served as chair of the group’s Substance Use and Pain Care Task Force, and currently sees patients at the practice he shares with his wife, Dr. Nita Kulkarni, an obstetrician-gynecologist.
Additionally, the AMA also named Dr. Willie Underwood, a urologic surgeon from Buffalo, New York, as the organization’s president-elect. Following a year in the president-elect position, he’ll be inaugurated as president of the AMA in June 2026.
