Biden to name Monica Bertagnolli as new head of National Institutes of Health

May 15 (UPI) -- Monica Bertagnolli, who President Joe Biden named as director of the National Cancer Institute in August, will be nominated as director of the National Institutes of Health, the White House announced on Monday.

Lawrence Tabak had been performing the duties of director since December after Francis Collins left the position after serving 12 years.

"Dr. Bertagnolli has spent her career pioneering scientific discovery and pushing the boundaries of what is possible to improve cancer prevention and treatment for patients and ensuring that patients in every community have access to quality care," Biden said in announcing his intent to nominate her.

"As director of the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Bertagnolli has advanced my 'cancer moonshot' to end cancer as we know it. She has brought together partners and resources from different sectors to launch groundbreaking efforts in cancer prevention and early detection, a national navigation program for childhood cancers, and additional programs to bring clinical trials to more Americans."

In August, Biden made Bertagnolli the first woman to be named to lead the National Cancer Institute. At the time, she was serving as the Richard E. Wilson professor of surgery in the field of surgical oncology at Harvard University, as well as a surgeon at Brigham and Women's Hospital.

In December, Bertagnolli announced she was diagnosed with breast cancer but was diagnosed early enough to continue working with some leave time.

"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," Biden said.

The White House said that, throughout her career, Bertagnolli has been at the forefront of clinical and research oncology and has championed collaborative initiatives to transform the data infrastructure for clinical cancer research.

Bertagnolli is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, a past president and chair of the board of directors of the American Society of Clinical Oncology, and has served on the board of directors of the American Cancer Society and the Prevent Cancer Foundation.