Dr. Norman “Ned” Sharpless, an oncologist at the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, Chapel Hill, was recently sworn in as director of the National Institutes of Health's National Cancer Institute.
Sharpless expressed pride in his appointment, saying that now “is an exciting moment for cancer research, as new discoveries and technological improvements are accelerating our progress against cancer,” according to an NIH release.
“Dr. Sharpless is an outstanding scientist, clinician, and administrator, and we are very fortunate to have him join the NIH leadership team,” NIH Director Francis Collins said in the release. “I look forward to his insight, influence, and partnership at NCI, as cancer research is experiencing an unprecedented era of rapid progress.”
Sharpless, who takes over the post held by acting Director Douglas Lowry after Dr. Harold Varmus stepped down, earned his undergraduate and medical degrees from UNC Chapel Hill, interned at Massachusetts General Hospital and served a fellowship at Dana-Farber/Partners Cancer Care.
“It is an honor to welcome Dr. Sharpless to the Department of Health and Human Services and the National Institutes of Health,” Acting Health and Human Services Secretary Eric Hargan said in the release. “We … look forward to Dr. Sharpless playing an integral role in this administration’s aggressive efforts to advance cancer research and cures for cancer patients.”
