Director of the National Institutes of Health

Last updated
Director of the
National Institutes of Health
NIH Master Logo Vertical 2Color.png
Matthew Memoli 2025 (cropped).jpg
Incumbent
Matthew Memoli
Acting  
since January 22, 2025
AppointerThe President
FormationAugust 1887
First holder Joseph J. Kinyoun
Website Official website

In the United States, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary agency responsible for medical research. The director of the National Institutes of Health plays an active role in shaping the agency's activities and outlook. The director is responsible for providing leadership to the institutes and for constantly identifying needs and opportunities, especially for efforts that involve multiple institutes. [1] The NIH director is responsible for advising the U.S. president on their annual budget request to Congress on the basis of extensive discussions with the institute directors. [1]

Contents

History

The position of the NIH Director became presidentially appointed with the passage of the National Cancer Act of 1971 and Senate confirmed with the National Cancer Act Amendments of 1974.  Prior to 1971, all NIH Directors were appointed by the Surgeon General, with the exception of Robert Q. Marston, who was appointed by the Secretary of Health, Education, and Welfare. Acting Directors are selected by the Secretary of Health and Human Services and hold the position until the President nominates a new director who is confirmed by the Senate. [2]

List of directors

Unnumbered, colored rows indicate acting directors.

No.PortraitNameTerm in officeAppointed byNotes
1 Dr. Joseph J. Kinyoun (6916215501).jpg Joseph J. Kinyoun August 1887 - April 30, 1899 John B. Hamilton Kinyoun was appointed the first director of the U.S. Hygienic Laboratory by the Surgeon General in 1887.
2 Milton J Rosenau.jpg Milton J. Rosenau May 1, 1899 - September 30, 1909 Walter Wyman
3 John F Anderson.jpg John F. Anderson October 1, 1909 - November 19, 1915 Walter Wyman
4 George W. McCoy.jpg George W. McCoy November 20, 1915 - January 31, 1937 Rupert Blue The U.S. Hygienic Laboratory was renamed the National Institute of Health in 1930 under the Ransdell Act. [3]
5 Lewis Ryers Thompson.jpg Lewis Ryers Thompson February 1, 1937 - January 31, 1942 Thomas Parran
6 Rolla Dyer.jpg Rolla Dyer February 1, 1942 - September 30, 1950 Thomas Parran The National Institute of Health was renamed the National Institutes of Health in 1948 as part of reorganization that was authorized under the National Heart Act. [4]
7 Henry Sebrell Jr.png William H. Sebrell Jr. October 1, 1950 - July 31, 1955 Leonard A. Scheele
8 James A. Shannon.jpg James A. Shannon August 1, 1955 - August 31, 1968 Leonard A. Scheele
9 Robert Marston 3.jpg Robert Q. Marston September 1, 1968 - January 21, 1973 Wilbur J. Cohen With the approval of President Johnson, Marston was appointed NIH director by HEW secretary Wilbur J. Cohen. Marston was head of another HEW department at the time of the appointment. [5] Starting in 1971, directors became presidential appointees serving at the pleasure of the commander in chief as a result of the passage of the National Cancer Act. [6]
Noimage.svg John F. Sherman January 21, 1973 - May 28, 1973 Elliot L. Richardson NIH deputy director [7]
10 Robert Stone NIH Portrait.jpg Robert Stone May 29, 1973 - January 31, 1975 Richard Nixon
Noimage.svg Ronald W. Lamont-Havers February 1, 1975 - June 30, 1975 Caspar Weinberger NIH deputy director [8]
11 Donald S. Fredrickson 1961.jpg Donald S. Fredrickson July 1, 1975 - June 30, 1981 Jimmy Carter
Dr. Thomas E. Malone.jpg Thomas E. Malone July 1, 1981 - April 28, 1982 Richard S. Schweiker NIH deputy director [9]
12 James Wyngaarden.jpg James Wyngaarden April 29, 1982 - July 31, 1989 Ronald Reagan [10]
William F. Raub (cropped).jpg William F. Raub August 1, 1989 - April 8, 1991 Louis Wade Sullivan NIH deputy director [11] [12]
13 Dr. Bernadine Healy (14172776968).jpg Bernadine Healy April 8, 1991 - June 30, 1993 George H.W. Bush [13]
RuthKirschstein.jpg Ruth L. Kirschstein July 1, 1993 - November 22, 1993 Donna Shalala NIH deputy director [14]
14 National Cancer Institute director Harold E. Varmus (3) (cropped).jpg Harold E. Varmus November 23, 1993 - December 31, 1999 Bill Clinton [15]
RuthKirschstein.jpg Ruth L. Kirschstein January 1, 2000 - May 1, 2002 Donna Shalala NIH deputy director [14]
15 Elias Zerhouni cropped.png Elias Zerhouni May 2, 2002 - October 31, 2008 George W. Bush [16] [17] [18]
Kington NIH Director.jpg Raynard S. Kington November 1, 2008 - August 16, 2009 Michael O. Leavitt NIH deputy director [19]
16 Francis Collins official photo.jpg Francis Collins August 17, 2009 - December 19, 2021 Barack Obama [20] [21] [22]
Lawrence A. Tabak official portrait (cropped).jpg Lawrence A. Tabak December 20, 2021 - November 8, 2023 Xavier Becerra NIH principal deputy director [23]
17 Monica M. Bertagnolli, NCI Director.png Monica Bertagnolli November 9, 2023 – January 17, 2025 Joe Biden [24] [25]
Matthew Memoli 2025 (cropped).jpg Matthew Memoli January 22, 2025 – Present Dorothy Fink Director of the Laboratory of Infectious Diseases (LID) Clinical Studies Unit, National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) [26]

References

Citations

  1. 1 2 National Institutes of Health 2014.
  2. National Institutes of Health 2015.
  3. "George Walter McCoy, M.D." The NIH Almanac. National Institutes of Health.
  4. "New Institutes". A Short History of the National Institutes of Health. National Institutes of Health.
  5. "Robert Q. Marston To Head NIH". Science . 161 (3839): 345. July 26, 1968. doi:10.1126/science.161.3839.34.
  6. "NIH Directors". The NIH Almanac. National Institutes of Health.
  7. "John F. Sherman, Ph.D." The NIH Almanac. National Institutes of Health.
  8. "Ronald W. Lamont-Havers, M.D." The NIH Almanac. National Institutes of Health.
  9. "Thomas E. Malone, Ph.D." The NIH Almanac. National Institutes of Health.
  10. "James B. Wyngaarden, M.D." National Institutes of Health.
  11. "William F. Raub, Ph.D." The NIH Almanac. National Institutes of Health.
  12. "William F. Raub, PH.D." Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation. U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
  13. "Bernadine Healy, M.D." NIH.
  14. 1 2 "Ruth Kirschstein, M.D." NIH.
  15. "Harold E. Varmus, M.D." NIH.
  16. "Minutes of the National Advisory Council for Nursing Research" (PDF). National Advisory Council for Nursing Research. May 21, 2002.
  17. "Elias A. Zerhouni to End Tenure as Director of the National Institutes of Health". NIH. September 1, 2008.
  18. "Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D." NIH.
  19. "Raynard S. Kington, M.D." NIH.
  20. "Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., Sworn in as NIH Director". NIH. August 17, 2009.
  21. "Francis Collins to step down as director of the National Institutes of Health". NIH. October 5, 2021.
  22. "Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D." NIH.
  23. "Lawrence A. Tabak, D.D.S., Ph.D." NIH.
  24. "Monica M. Bertagnolli, M.D." NIH.
  25. "Statement from Monica M. Bertagnolli, M.D., on ending her tenure as NIH director". NIH. January 14, 2025.
  26. "NIAID's Memoli Appointed NIH Acting Director". NIH Record . February 14, 2025.

Bibliography

PD-icon.svg This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the National Institutes of Health.