Atlas, Scott W., 1955-

Scott William Atlas (born July 5, 1955) is an American radiologist, political commentator, and health care policy advisor. He is the Robert Wesson Senior Fellow in health care policy at the Hoover Institution, a conservative think tank located at Stanford University. During the United States presidential campaigns of 2008, 2012, and 2016, Atlas was a Senior Advisor for Health Care to several presidential candidates. From 1998 to 2012 he was a professor and chief of neuroradiology at Stanford University Medical Center. Atlas was selected by President Donald Trump in August 2020 to serve as an advisor on the White House Coronavirus Task Force. In that role, Atlas at times said misinformation about COVID-19, such as theories that face masks and social distancing were not effective in slowing the spread of the coronavirus. His statements and influence on policies caused controversy within the task force. Contrary to the recommendations of most of the scientific community, Atlas recommended establishing herd immunity by allowing or encouraging low-risk people to get COVID-19 while attempting to protect more vulnerable people. He advocated that states should not engage in COVID-19 testing of virus-exposed but asymptomatic individuals, called for faster reopening of schools and businesses, and encouraged residents to resist or "rise up" against state restrictions adopted to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. Atlas resigned from his position in the White House on November 30, 2020.