AAMC (Association of American Medical Colleges) President and CEO David J. Skorton, MD, issued the following statement following President Biden’s announcement of his intent to appoint Monica Bertagnolli, MD, to be the next director of the National Cancer Institute:
“The AAMC supports President Biden’s intention to appoint Monica Bertagnolli, MD, as the new director for the National Cancer Institute (NCI) at the National Institutes of Health. As a surgeon at the Dana-Farber Cancer Center and a professor of surgery at Harvard Medical School, Dr. Bertagnolli has strong credentials and extensive experience that will serve her and the country well in this position.
A distinguished leader as both a clinician and executive, Dr. Bertagnolli served as the president of the American Society of Clinical Oncology and was recently elected to the National Academy of Medicine. In addition, she was the first woman to hold the title of Dana-Farber's chief of the division of surgical oncology, and will be the first woman to serve as NCI director.
Throughout her career, Dr. Bertagnolli has advocated for increasing diversity in cancer care – both in advancing the diversity of doctors who are treating patients and conducting research, and in the racial and geographic makeup of people enrolled in clinical trials. The AAMC has long supported increasing clinical trial diversity to improve the validity and applicability of research outcomes for patients nationwide.
Dr. Bertagnolli’s leadership continues the NCI’s commitment to innovative research, community engagement, and providing excellent medical care for patients, survivors, and communities impacted by cancer. The AAMC is also grateful to Douglas Lowy, MD, NCI acting director, for overseeing the institute during this transition. We look forward to working with Dr. Bertagnolli and the full team at the NCI toward our common endeavors to improve the lives of patients and communities across the country.”