AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) President and CEO David J. Skorton, MD, and Chief Scientific Officer Ross McKinney, Jr., MD, issued the following statement in response to the announcement that Norman “Ned” Sharpless, MD, will step down from his role as director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), at the end of the month:
“The AAMC commends Dr. Sharpless for his nearly five years of service as director of the National Cancer Institute. During his tenure, he has led the roughly $7 billion biomedical research institute to collaborate and embrace new ways of working to solve some of the toughest problems in cancer. He has provided exceptional leadership at the NCI, working diligently with researchers, patient advocates, academic institutions, and policymakers to advance scientific discovery in prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer, and to meet President Joe Biden’s goal of cutting the number of cancer deaths in the United States in half in the next 25 years.
The NCI will continue to play a crucial role in President Biden’s mission of “ending cancer as we know it,” both through the Cancer Moonshot initiative and in supporting the foundational discovery necessary to strengthen cancer prevention, diagnosis, and treatment for people everywhere. The AAMC looks forward to continuing to work with the NCI and the entire NIH to create a healthier future for all.”