Statement on the return of Dr. Ned Sharpless as NCI Director

Norman E. “Ned” Sharpless, M.D.

I am delighted to welcome back Dr. Ned Sharpless to NIH to resume the leadership of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the job that brought him to Washington in 2017. Earlier this year, Ned was asked by the President to step in as Acting Commissioner of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration while the Administration sought a permanent candidate. Being the tireless public servant that he is, Ned accepted the temporary assignment and has carried it out brilliantly. As one of the nation’s leading oncologists who has devoted his entire professional career to helping patients in the fight against cancer, Ned is returning home to NCI to continue this work and we look forward to working closely with him once again. I want to thank Dr. Doug Lowy, principal deputy director of NCI, for having stepped in, once again, to take the helm at NCI and lead the institute so skillfully while Ned was at FDA. Please join me in thanking both Ned and Doug for continuing to be the consummate scientific leaders who are always willing to go above and beyond the call of duty to advance our mission to improve the nation’s health.

Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D.
Director, National Institutes of Health