Dorothy Fink Chosen to Serve as Acting HHS Secretary; Appoints Matthew Memoli as Acting NIH Director

Dorothy Fink M.D. has been appointed by President Trump to serve as acting Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) as confirmation hearings for the presidential nominee for the position, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., continue. Fink previously served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Women’s Health and Director of the Office on Women’s Health in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH). Shortly after her appointment, Fink tapped Matthew Memoli, M.D., to serve as acting Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) as the Senate works to confirm Jay Bhattacharya (see previous COSSA coverage). Memoli, a National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) researcher, has previously expressed safety concerns about the COVID-19 vaccine. Bhattacharya’s confirmation hearing has yet to be scheduled.

On January 23, Fink issued a freeze on public communications and employee travel until February 1. While the temporary pause in communications is not unprecedented with a new Administration, there were concerns within the community about the effects the pause may have on researchers across the federal agencies.

Stay tuned to COSSA’s continued coverage on the new Administration.