Monica Bertagnolli, MD, is the new director of the National Institutes of Health.
Dr. Bertagnolli, a renowned cancer surgeon and researcher, currently leads the National Cancer Institute. She previously served at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and was the Richard E. Wilson Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School, all based in Boston.
President Joe Biden nominated her to the NIH's helm in April, and the United States Senate locked in the nomination Nov. 7 with a 62 to 36 bipartisan vote, according to The New York Times and Politico.
Dr. Bertagnolli takes the reins after a search spanning nearly two years. After Francis Collins, MD, PhD, stepped down from the role in December 2021, the White House struggled to identify a replacement. Although the role is prestigious, it pays around $200,000 — less than most candidates earn in their current positions. The NIH is also subject to increased scrutiny on the heels of COVID-19, coming under fire for its support of virus research labs in China. The lengthy vetting process itself was a deterrent to some candidates, according to a March report from The Wall Street Journal.
The appointment will go down in history, as Dr. Bertagnolli is the first surgeon to lead the NIH, according to a news release from her alma mater, Salt Lake City-based University of Utah Medical School. She is also its second female director, following Bernadine Healy, MD, who helmed the NIH from 1991 to 1993.