Move FM Global News

WASHINGTON D.C.: After a year-long search to find a replacement for the National Institutes of Health’s long-serving head, Francis Collins, US President Joe Biden has appointed cancer surgeon Monica Bertagnolli as the new director of the agency.

If confirmed by the US Senate, Bertagnolli will be the second woman to become the NIH’s permanent director.

The agency is part of the US Department of Health and Human Services, and had a budget of some $45 billion in 2022.

In a statement, Biden said, “Dr. Bertagnolli is a world-class physician-scientist whose vision and leadership will ensure NIH continues to be an engine of innovation to improve the health of the American people.”

In October, Bertagnolli was also appointed the head the National Cancer Institute, which is a part of the NIH.

Through a revival of the ‘Cancer Moonshot’ program, Biden’s nomination of Bertagnolli is part of his administration’s efforts to focus on cancer research.

In December, Bertagnolli announced that she had been diagnosed with early stage breast cancer and would require surgery and further treatment, but stressed that her prognosis was very favorable.

Ellen Sigal, chair and founder of non-profit think tank Friends of Cancer Research, said, “Dr. Bertagnolli is a physician scientist and a patient herself, and deeply understands the intricacies and personal impact of biomedical research.”