Director of the National Institutes of Health facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Director of the National Institutes of Health
Incumbent Monica Bertagnolli since November 9, 2023
Appointer	The President
Formation	August 1887
First holder	Joseph J. Kinyoun
Website	Official website: https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/who-we-are/nih-director

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is a very important agency in the United States. It's like a big science lab that focuses on medical research. They work to understand diseases and find new ways to treat them.

The Director of the National Institutes of Health is the main leader of this agency. This person helps decide what research the NIH will focus on. They also make sure different parts of the NIH work together. The director also gives advice to the U.S. President about how much money the NIH needs for its research each year.

How the Director's Job Changed

The job of the NIH Director has changed over time. Before 1971, the director was usually chosen by the Surgeon General. This is the top doctor in the U.S. government.

But in 1971, a new law called the National Cancer Act was passed. After this, the U.S. President started choosing the NIH Director. The Senate then had to agree with the President's choice. This made the director's role even more important.

Sometimes, there's an acting director. This person fills in if the main director leaves before a new one is chosen. The Secretary of Health and Human Services picks the acting director. They stay in the job until the President picks a new director and the Senate approves them.

Past Directors of the NIH

Many talented scientists and doctors have led the NIH over the years. Here is a list of the people who have served as director. The rows that are colored yellow show people who were acting directors for a short time.

No.	Portrait	Name	Term in office	Appointed by
1		Joseph J. Kinyoun	August 1887 - April 30, 1899	John B. Hamilton
2		Milton J. Rosenau	May 1, 1899 - September 30, 1909	Walter Wyman
3		John F. Anderson	October 1, 1909 - November 19, 1915	Walter Wyman
4		George W. McCoy	November 20, 1915 - January 31, 1937	Rupert Blue
5		Lewis Ryers Thompson	February 1, 1937 - January 31, 1942	Thomas Parran
6		Rolla Dyer	February 1, 1942 - September 30, 1950	Thomas Parran
7		William H. Sebrell Jr.	October 1, 1950 - July 31, 1955	Leonard A. Scheele
8		James A. Shannon	August 1, 1955 - August 31, 1968	Leonard A. Scheele
9		Robert Q. Marston	September 1, 1968 - January 21, 1973	Wilbur J. Cohen
–		John F. Sherman	January 21, 1973 - May 28, 1973	Elliot L. Richardson
10		Robert Stone	May 29, 1973 - January 31, 1975	Richard Nixon
–		Ronald W. Lamont-Havers	February 1, 1975 - June 30, 1975	Caspar Weinberger
11		Donald S. Fredrickson	July 1, 1975 - June 30, 1981	Jimmy Carter
–		Thomas E. Malone	July 1, 1981 - April 28, 1982	Richard S. Schweiker
12		James Wyngaarden	April 29, 1982 - July 31, 1989	Ronald Reagan
–		William F. Raub	August 1, 1989 - April 8, 1991	Louis Wade Sullivan
13		Bernadine Healy	April 8, 1991 - June 30, 1993	George H.W. Bush
–		Ruth L. Kirschstein	July 1, 1993 - November 22, 1993	Donna Shalala
14		Harold E. Varmus	November 23, 1993 - December 31, 1999	Bill Clinton
–		Ruth L. Kirschstein	January 1, 2000 - May 2, 2002	Donna Shalala
15		Elias Zerhouni	May 3, 2002 - October 31, 2008	George W. Bush
–		Raynard S. Kington	November 1, 2008 - August 16, 2009	Michael O. Leavitt
16		Francis Collins	August 17, 2009 - December 19, 2021	Barack Obama
–		Lawrence A. Tabak	December 20, 2021 - November 8, 2023	Xavier Becerra
17		Monica Bertagnolli	November 9, 2023 – Present	Joe Biden