Varmus To Lead National Cancer Institute

President Barack Obama has chosen former NIH director and Nobel Prize winner Harold E. Varmus to direct the National Cancer Institute. The decision confirms rumors about the appointment, which began circulating several weeks ago after Varmus announced that he planned to step down as president of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York City.

Varmus, 70, is best known for his work on retroviruses and cancer genes, for which he received the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1989. He was NIH director from 1993 to 1999 and currently serves as co-chair of the President's Council of Advisors on Science & Technology.

Reactions to the announcement were overwhelmingly positive. In an e-mail to NCI staff, NIH director Francis S. Collins noted that Varmus "brings unmatched expertise at all levels—not only in cutting edge scientific research, but also as a leader in the development of strategies for improving patient care, in scientific education and training, and in the design of novel public-private partnerships."

Cancer researchers also welcomed the President's choice. "Varmus will bring to the NCI an unrivaled appreciation for how basic science serves as the foundation for understanding healthy function as well as disease conditions," Elizabeth H. Blackburn, president of the American Association for Cancer Research, said in a statement. "His visionary leadership will allow NCI to continue leading the way in programs aimed at preventing disease, improving health, and reducing suffering from cancer."

Varmus is expected to start as the 14th NCI director in July.