Former NIH chief Varmus to head National Cancer Institute

The New York Times: "Dr. Harold E. Varmus, a Nobel Prize-winning biologist and former director of the National Institutes of Health, will become director of the National Cancer Institute, the White House announced Monday. President Obama selected Dr. Varmus, who is now president of Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center in New York, after a lengthy search. Dr. Varmus is expected to shake up the much-criticized federal cancer program" (Pear, 5/17).

The Washington Post: "Although it is unusual for someone who once headed the entire NIH to return to run one of its member institutes, colleagues said the move offers Varmus the chance to have maximal impact on the field of cancer research at a unique moment in its history. ... As respected for his political savvy as he is for his scientific accomplishments, Varmus oversaw the doubling of the NIH's budget during his tenure as its director, from 1993 to 1999. Now, with the cost of cancer research galloping ahead of federal funding, [Edward] Benz [President of Dana Farber] and other supporters said they are hoping Varmus can tap his extensive Washington network to drum up more resources" (Aizenman, 5/18).