Biden Faces NIH, FDA Leadership Vacancies as Pandemic Drags On

October 6, 2021

‘Fill the Shoes’

Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), who’s chair both of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee and the Health Appropriations Subcommittee, also expressed confidence in finding a solid replacement. “There’s a lot of really great people who work at NIH. I’ll miss Dr. Collins, obviously, but I’m sure the administration will find somebody very competent.”

In the short-term, Collins will continue to advise and there are distinguished, proven leaders within the NIH who are equipped to fill the void until a new director is in place, Ellie Dehoney, vice president of policy and advocacy for Research!America, said. “The biggest concern is how any Administration could possibly fill the shoes of such an extraordinarily effective leader and advocate,” Dehoney wrote in an email.

Dehoney said she’s confident that the administration and Congress can successfully agree on solid leaders for both the NIH and the FDA. “The biggest obstacle is the plethora of other priorities confronting the Administration and Senate,” she said.

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