Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra today announced that Lawrence A. Tabak, D.D.S., Ph.D., the principal deputy director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), will serve as the acting director of NIH effective December 20, 2021.
Earlier this year, current NIH director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., announced his decision to end his tenure as the NIH director by the end of the year, and his last day as director will be December 19, 2021. Dr. Collins is the longest-serving, presidentially-appointed NIH director, having served three U.S. presidents over more than 12 years.