About NIH
NIH Leadership
NIH Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D.
On August 17, 2009, Dr. Francis S. Collins became the Director of the National Institutes of Health. Read Dr. Collins’ bio sketch
The NIH Director plays an active role in shaping the agency's activities and outlook. With a unique and critical perspective on the whole of the NIH, the Director is responsible for providing leadership to the Institutes and for constantly identifying needs and opportunities, especially for efforts that involve multiple Institutes. Read more about the role of the NIH Director
Deputy Directors
Lawrence A.
Tabak
Kathy
Hudson
Michael
Gottesman
Sally J.
Rockey
Colleen
Barros
James M.
Anderson
Lawrence A. Tabak, D.D.S., Ph.D.—Principal Deputy Director, NIH
Kathy Hudson, Ph.D.—Deputy Director for Science, Outreach, and Policy
Michael Gottesman, M.D.—Deputy Director for Intramural Research
Sally J. Rockey, Ph.D.—Deputy Director for Extramural Research
Colleen Barros, M.A.—Deputy Director for Management and Chief Financial Officer
James M. Anderson, M.D., Ph.D.—Deputy Director for Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
Institute and Center Directors
Each NIH Institute and Center has its own director to lead the pursuit of the research mission specific to the Institute.
The Role of the NIH Director
The NIH Director plays an active role in shaping the agency's activities and outlook. With a unique and critical perspective on the whole of the NIH, the Director is responsible for providing leadership to the Institutes and for constantly identifying needs and opportunities, especially for efforts that involve multiple Institutes.
The Director stays in touch with each Institute's priorities and accomplishments through:
- regular senior staff meetings,
- discussions with scientific interest groups, and
- briefing sessions with Institute directors.
The Director also seeks advice from an appointed group
of public representatives and the Council
of Councils, a special panel of experts convened to advise
the NIH Director on matters related to the policies and activities
of the Division of Program Coordination, Planning and Strategic
Initiatives. In addition to this flow of information from scientists,
the Director is advised through discussions with the Administration,
usually through the Department of
Health and Human Services 
(HHS), and with the Congress.
The NIH Director is responsible for advising the President on his annual budget request to Congress on the basis of extensive discussions with the Institute Directors.
Related Links
- Executive Secretariat—manages the flow of information to and from the NIH Director
- Office of Management—advises the NIH Director and staff on all phases of NIH-wide administration and management
- NIH Consensus Development Program—a panel of experts who produce evidence-based consensus statements on complex medical issues for use by health care providers, patients, and the general public
Public Health Impact of NIH Research
NIH is the leading supporter of biomedical research in the world.
This research has had a major positive impact on nearly all of our lives by improving human health, fueling the U.S. economy, and creating jobs in our communities.
NIH Director’s Blog
The Director’s Blog highlights new discoveries in biology and medicine that are game changers, noteworthy, or just plain cool.
Through the blog, the Director may tell you about an interesting study in a journal, or share his thoughts about a news item or public health issue.
NIH BRAIN Initiative
With nearly 100 billion neurons and 100 trillion connections, the human brain remains one of the greatest mysteries in science and one of the greatest challenges in medicine.
The NIH Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative is part of a new Presidential focus aimed at revolutionizing our understanding of the human brain by producing a revolutionary new dynamic picture of the brain that, for the first time, shows how individual cells and complex neural circuits interact in both time and space.
The NIH Vision—
NIH Strategic Plan for Obesity Research
Affects 65% of U.S. adults or 130 million people
Trans-NIH effort of 19 Institutes encourages research on:
- lifestyle modification
- pharmacologic, surgical, and other medical approaches
- links to diseases and health disparities
- education/outreach efforts
The NIH Vision—
Trans-NIH — 15 institutes collaborate on reducing human suffering from mental illness, neurological disorders and a wide range of behavioral disorders:
- creating new resources
- tackling common scientific problems
- training next generations of neuroscientists
Social Media Links