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> Special Edition: Harold Varmus resigns as NIH director > > ***************************************************** > > It's official. > > After months of rumor, speculation and precocious reports that he would, > Harold Varmus this morning resigned his position as director of the > National Institutes of Health (NIH). Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center > in New York City is expected to announce at a press conference this > afternoon that Varmus will become president of that institution at the end > of the year. > > In a prepared statement, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary > Donna Shalala said: > > "The appointment of Harold Varmus as director of the National Institutes of > Health (NIH) was one of the most important accomplishments of this > Administration. From the day he arrived at NIH he began making a great > institution extraordinary. To have a scientist of his brilliance and > stature lead NIH has been invaluable to the scientific community and to the > American people. > > "History will judge him as the leader who brought new energy, vision, and > excitement to the world's greatest scientific institution. His legacy will > be the brightest young scientists of this generation, who now see a future > in NIH's laboratories and clinics and in the nation's other great research > institutions. The solid, generous, bipartisan support NIH now enjoys is due > in large part to his leadership. We wish him well in his new position." > > In a statement from the Federation of American Societies for Experimental > Biology (FASEB) David Kaufman said of Varmus that "his enthusiasm and > `bench scientist' approach to research policy is refreshing and convincing > to the public, his colleagues in science, and policy makers in Washington. > As Director of NIH, he conveyed the excitement of science and the > researcher's dedication to discovery and its potential to improve human > health." > > "Few individuals can be said to have done so much to improve human health > as can Harold Varmus. As he leaves the NIH Directorship and moves on to his > next challenge at Memorial Sloan-Kettering, we wish him good fortune in his > new endeavor. We shall miss him and the strength of character and skill > which he brings to our common goal: the improvement of human health through > the tools of science." > > ******************************************************** > Today's Washington Fax online is available at: > http://www.washingtonfax.com/p1/index.html > __________________________ > Compiled by Washington Fax: an Information Service of F-D-C Reports, Inc. > Managing Editor: Shirley Haley > Phone: 508.999.6097 Fax: 508.994.9366 > E-mail: [log in to unmask]<<<<<< > All material (c) 1999 by F-D-C Reports, Inc. > I promised them I would let you know how to get a temporary subscription. I did that. Nita Interesting bit of news.