Scott William Atlas (born July 5, 1955) is an American radiologist, neuroradiologist, neurosurgeon, political commentator, and health care policy advisor. He earned a Bachelor of Science in biology from the University of Illinois at Chicago in 1977 and a Doctor of Medicine from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine in 1981. After completing his residency in diagnostic radiology at the University of Chicago Hospitals and specializing in neuroradiology, he served as a professor and chief of neuroradiology at Stanford University Medical Center from 1998 to 2012, where he contributed to advancements in medical imaging and authored numerous publications on brain and spine disorders. He transitioned into health policy and political advising, serving as a Senior Advisor for Health Care to several Republican presidential candidates during the 2008, 2012, and 2016 campaigns. He is currently the Robert Wesson Senior Fellow in health care policy at the Hoover Institution, a conservative think tank affiliated with Stanford University. In August 2020, he joined the White House Coronavirus Task Force as a special advisor to President Donald Trump on COVID-19 strategy, where he advocated for herd immunity approaches, questioned the efficacy of lockdowns and mask mandates, and emphasized reopening schools and economies. His positions drew significant controversy and criticism from public health experts, who accused him of spreading misinformation, including condemnation by over 100 medical professionals in an open letter. Despite the backlash, he defended his views in media appearances and his 2021 book 'A Plague Upon Our House,' detailing his White House experience. He has been involved in broader policy discussions, including critiques of government health care programs like Obamacare, and continues to influence conservative health policy circles as a key figure advocating limited government intervention in public health.