NIH Director Nomination Progresses

On October 25, the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) voted to advance Dr. Monica Bertagnolli’s confirmation as the next Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) (see previous COSSA coverage). Six Senators voted against her confirmation, including the Chair of the HELP Committee Senator Bernie Sanders (D-VT), citing concerns about rising drug prices in the United States. If confirmed, Bertagnolli will replace the current Acting Director, Dr. Lawrence Tabak, who has been serving since the departure of Francis Collins in 2021.

During her nomination hearing, Bertagnolli spoke of the importance of the social and behavioral sciences stating, “We must interrogate the broad range of behavioral and social science challenges we face today while laying the foundation to address new issues that will arise in the future.” Bertagnolli is the Director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and previously served as the Richard E. Wilson Professor of Surgery at Harvard Medical School and as a surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital. Bertagnolli holds a Bachelor of Science in Engineering from Princeton University and received her medical degree from the University of Utah.

Bertagnolli will require a full Senate vote prior to being confirmed as NIH Director. Stay tuned for continued coverage of the confirmation process.