Lawrence Tabak becomes incoming acting NIH director

New Leader

Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Xavier Becerra announced that Lawrence Tabak, D.D.S., Ph.D., would become the incoming acting National Institutes of Health (NIH) director. Dr. Tabak, who currently serves as the principal deputy director at NIH, will take on the acting position starting on December 20, filling in for Francis Collins, M.D., Ph.D., while the Biden administration searches for Dr. Collins’s permanent replacement. A permanent NIH director to replace Collins will need to be nominated by President Biden and confirmed by the Senate.

Dr. Collins, who announced his plans to leave his position in October, will work until December 19 after serving as director for more than 12 years, the longest tenure for a presidentially appointed NIH director. Dr. Collins, 71, the first NIH director to serve under three presidents, will be leaving the agency after three decades, saying that “no single person should serve in the position too long,” so “it’s time to bring in a new scientist to lead the NIH into the future." He added, “It has been an incredible privilege to lead this great agency for more than a decade.” 

Dr. Tabak, the incoming acting NIH director, has held positions at NIH since 2000, including as principal deputy director and deputy ethics counselor for the past 11 years. Previously, he served as the director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial research for a decade. He was the senior associate dean for research and a professor of dentistry and biochemistry and biophysics at the University of Rochester. Tabak, a doctor of dental surgery, specializes in the structure, biosynthesis and function of glycoproteins and maintains a research lab at NIH in this field.  

Becerra complimented Dr. Tabak’s “long tenure” and “broad experience.” According to Becerra, “Dr. Tabak has a deep grasp of the most pressing scientific issues confronting our nation, he has earned respect across NIH as a thoughtful and strategic manager and is committed to building a healthier and more equitable America.” 

A former NIH MERIT recipient, Dr. Tabak has received several honors and awards for his work including election to membership in the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. He has also received teaching awards for his work with both graduate and medical students.

Throughout the pandemic, Dr. Collins has served as a fixture of the federal government’s response during both the Trump and Biden presidencies, specifically with his involvement in the development and promotion of the COVID-19 vaccines. On December 14, a video was shared across social media showing a clip of Dr. Collins singing his own cover of “Somewhere Over the Rainbow,” but his version was titled, “Somewhere Past the Pandemic.” The video was taken during an official town hall hosted by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

NIH, a sprawling federal health agency in Bethesda, Maryland, played a pivotal role in the pandemic response. It worked alongside Moderna in crafting its COVID-19 vaccine. Dr. Anthony Fauci leads its National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.