Biden Nominates Cancer Researcher Monica Bertagnolli as NIH Director
- President Biden plans to nominate Dr. Monica Bertagnolli, a surgical oncologist and director of the National Cancer Institute, as the next director of the National Institutes of Health.
- If confirmed by the Senate, Dr. Bertagnolli would become the second woman to lead the NIH permanently.
- Dr. Bertagnolli has advanced cancer research through the Cancer Moonshot initiative and focused on cancer prevention, early detection and treatment equity.
- The position of NIH director has been vacant since December 2021 when Dr. Francis Collins retired.
- The NIH oversees 27 institutes and centers and a budget of $45 billion for biomedical research in areas like cancer, Alzheimer's and infectious diseases.