Biden selects cancer surgeon Monica Bertagnolli as NIH director nominee.

President Biden has nominated Monica M. Bertagnolli, a cancer surgeon and current director of the National Cancer Institute, to lead the National Institutes of Health (NIH). If confirmed by the Senate, Bertagnolli would become the 17th director of the $46 billion health agency and the second woman to lead it. The NIH director position has been vacant since December 2021. Bertagnolli's nomination comes at a critical time for the NIH, which is facing scrutiny from Republicans over its funding of virus research and potential budget cuts, while progressives and advocacy organizations are pressuring the agency to take action on drug pricing and licensing.