November 07, 2023
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The U.S. Senate today confirmed Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, FACS, FASCO, as director of the NIH.
Bertagnolli — a surgical oncologist and past president of ASCO — has served as director of the NCI since October, becoming the first woman to serve in that position.
The U.S> Senate voted 62-36 to confirm Monica M. Bertagnolli, MD, FACS, FASCO, as director of the NIH.
The Senate voted 62-36 to confirm her as the 17th director of the NIH.
Monica M. Bertagnolli
“Dr. Bertagnolli’s experience in all aspects of medical research, clinical care and commitment to advancing science, as well as her own experience as a patient, make her the ideal leader for NIH and we know that she will accomplish remarkable things during this exciting time in science,” Clifford A. Hudis, MD, FACP, FASCO, CEO of ASCO, said in a society-issued statement. “As she shared in her confirmation hearing, she is a tireless advocate for increasing access to health care in rural areas, challenging the status quo and working to remove barriers to patient participation in clinical research.”
President Biden announced his intention to nominate Bertagnolli as NIH director in May.
During her Senate confirmation hearing last month, Bertagnolli spoke about several priorities for how she would lead the NIH. These included supporting research that is accessible and equitable for all individuals, expanding access to innovation, and embracing advances in health information technology and data analytics.
“We are delighted that the Senate has confirmed Dr. Bertagnolli as the next NIH director,” Philip D. Greenberg, MD, FAACR, president of American Association for Cancer Research, and Margaret Foti, PhD, MD (hc), the association’s CEO, said in a joint statement.
“Her wealth of experience as a researcher, clinician and leader will help ensure that NIH continues to foster pathbreaking biomedical research that improves the health and well-being of millions and saves lives from cancer and countless other diseases,” Greenberg and Foti added. “We look forward to working with Dr. Bertagnolli in support of public health, as we did during her time at the helm of the National Cancer Institute.”
Before her role at NCI, Bertagnolli served as Richard E. Wilson professor of surgery in the field of surgical oncology at Harvard Medical School. She also served as a surgeon at Brigham and Women’s Hospital, and as a member of the Gastrointestinal Cancer and Sarcoma Disease Center at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
In December 2022, Bertagnolli announced she had been diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer and had received a “very favorable” prognosis.
“As a clinical researcher and surgical oncologist, and having held various leadership positions among some of the nation’s most prestigious cancer organizations, as well as her own personal experience with cancer, she is a great choice to lead the world’s largest funder of medical research,” Julie Fleshman, JD, MBA, president and CEO of The Pancreatic Cancer Action Network, said in a statement. “With pancreatic cancer on track to become the second leading cause of cancer-related death in the United States, we are encouraged to have Dr. Bertagnolli, with her background in cancer, leading the NIH and look forward to working collaboratively with her to ensure scientific progress is made against this disease.”
However, Fleishman pointed to the “major vacancy” that now exists at NCI, the largest funder of cancer research in the world.
“We urge President Biden to move swiftly to fill that role as well to ensure progress in the fight against deadly diseases like pancreatic cancer can continue,” Fleshman said.
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