W. Kimryn Rathmell Begins Role as NCI Director

W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, assumed the role of director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) Dec. 18. NCI is one of the 27 institutes and centers of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It is the federal government’s principal agency for cancer research and training, and the largest funder of cancer research in the world with a current fiscal year 2023 budget of $7.3 billion.

President Biden announced his intention to nominate Rathmell to succeed Monica Bertagnolli, MD, who was confirmed as the NIH director Nov. 9.

Rathmell comes to NCI from Vanderbilt University Medical Center, where she was the physician-in-chief and the chair of the department of medicine. Her past research focused on the underlying drivers of kidney cancers by using genetic, molecular and cell biology to develop robust approaches to improve patient outcomes. Rathmell is the second woman to hold the post.

The American College of Radiology® (ACR®) continues to encourage imaging as a priority in Dr. Rathmell’s role as NCI director and welcomes the opportunity for future collaborations.

For more information, contact Katie Grady, ACR Government Affairs Director.