Senate HELP Committee Holds Hearing for NIH Director

The Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) held a hearing this week on the nomination of Monica Bertagnolli, MD, to be director of the National Institutes of Health.

Dr. Bertagnolli was questioned regarding her priorities on a range of NIH research topics and how she would address various healthcare issues. She answered questions about NIH funding allocations and noted that without increases to the federal agency, research opportunities would be left on the table. Dr. Bertagnolli also spoke of the importance of increasing access and diversity of clinical trials, both for research staff and participants, as well as the use of artificial intelligence in clinical trials.

The HELP Committee will vote Oct. 25 on Dr. Bertagnolli's nomination. If advanced out of committee, her nomination will move to the full Senate for confirmation. The American College of Radiology® (ACR®) sent a letter to the HELP Committee providing support for Dr. Bertagnolli’s nomination in late September.

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