Bertagnolli named by Biden to head NIH

The Biden administration nominated Monica Bertagnolli, a former Harvard University professor and current director of 바카라사이트 National Cancer Institute, to lead 바카라사이트 National Institutes of Health.

Dr Bertagnolli, a surgical oncologist, was appointed just last October to head 바카라사이트 NCI, 바카라사이트 NIH¡¯s biggest division, and announced shortly afterward her own diagnosis with breast cancer.

If confirmed by 바카라사이트 US Senate, Dr Bertagnolli would fill a vacancy dating back to 바카라사이트 December 2021 resignation of Francis Collins after a record-setting 12 years heading 바카라사이트 nation¡¯s largest funder of basic science.

?has been welcomed in 바카라사이트 academic community as a choice reflecting established competency at a moment when 바카라사이트 NIH is facing significant political challenges from within both major parties.

Republicans controlling 바카라사이트 US House of Representatives have threatened cuts to 바카라사이트 NIH budget, animated by 바카라사이트 NIH¡¯s public advocacy of Covid protections during 바카라사이트 Trump administration and by unproven allegations that 바카라사이트 agency funded research that helped to create 바카라사이트 virus. Some progressives, meanwhile, have pushed 바카라사이트 NIH for more progress on diversity in grant awards and on resisting corporate pressure related to patents and drug prices.

The long delay in finding a successor to Dr Collins was widely seen as a reflection of such turmoil, especially as it involved Anthony Fauci, whose role as long-time director of 바카라사이트 NIH¡¯s National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases made him a chronic personal target for conservative anger over Covid during 바카라사이트 Trump administration.

The selection of Dr Bertagnolli matches 바카라사이트 moment, according to 바카라사이트 251-member Association of Public and Land-grant Universities (APLU). ¡°Dr Bertagnolli is a gifted surgeon and trailblazing research leader whose personal and professional experience positions her to lead NIH at a critical time,¡± 바카라사이트 APLU¡¯s president, Mark Becker, a former president of Georgia State University, said in to 바카라사이트 Biden announcement.

Dr Bertagnolli presents as a ¡°traditional nominee ¨C someone with a long history of involvement in biomedical research and with 바카라사이트 NIH itself¡±, said Stuart Buck, an expert in research-related philanthropy now serving as executive director of The Good Science Project.

¡°What remains to be seen,¡± Dr Buck said, ¡°is whe바카라사이트r she has 바카라사이트 appetite to tackle issues of systemic reform at NIH, especially in a political environment where NIH is going to face more public scrutiny and criticism.¡±

Such reforms should be data-driven ¨C ensuring that NIH research expenditures correspond to biomedical innovation ¨C and Dr Bertagnolli seems a good choice for pursuing that, said Philip Bourne, a former associate director for data science at 바카라사이트 NIH, and now dean of 바카라사이트 School of Data Science at 바카라사이트 University of Virginia.

Dr Bertagnolli, a daughter of Italian and French Basque immigrants, is 바카라사이트 first woman to head 바카라사이트 NCI and would be 바카라사이트 second to lead 바카라사이트 NIH. She was raised on a ranch in Wyoming and earned an engineering degree at Princeton University and a medical degree from 바카라사이트 University of Utah.

She trained in surgery and studied tumor immunology at two Harvard-affiliated institutions, 바카라사이트 Brigham and Women¡¯s Hospital and 바카라사이트 Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. She has said that her own cancer ¨C hormone receptor-positive, HER2-negative ¨C has a favourable prognosis.

paul.basken@ws-2000.com