ACR Urges Senate HELP Committee to Confirm Dr. Bertagnolli as NIH Director

The American College of Radiology® (ACR®) sent a letter to the U.S. Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP), providing support for the nomination of Monica Bertagnolli, MD, to be the next director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). ACR believes Dr. Bertagnolli is an ideal candidate for this position and urges her swift confirmation. As a leading scientist, clinical trialist, physician, surgeon and patient, Dr. Bertagnolli has an intricate understanding of a multitude of aspects of the biomedical research enterprise.

Sen. Bernie Sanders, chair of the Senate HELP committee previously indicated that the committee will hold a confirmation hearing on the nomination of Dr. Bertagnolli in October. President Biden announced Dr. Bertagnolli as the nominee to lead the NIH in May. There has not been an announcement of an exact date of the hearing in October.

Dr. Bertagnolli currently serves as the director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), one of the 27 institutes and centers of the NIH, and has led NCI during the reignition of the Cancer Moonshot initiative, which aims to reduce the cancer death rate by at least 50% in the U.S. over the next 25 years and create a more supportive experience for patients and families. ACR previously joined 115 organizations in a letter of support for Dr. Bertagnolli to lead NIH when her nomination as first announced.

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