In a message earlier today, NIH Director Francis Collins announced the appointment of Michael S. Lauer, MD, as the new Deputy Director for Extramural Research. In this role, he will oversee the NIH Office for Extramural Research, which “provide the leadership, oversight, tools and guidance needed to administer and manage NIH grants policies and operations.”
Dr. Lauer is a board-certified cardiologist who has served at NIH’s National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute since 2007, and currently directs its Division of Cardiovascular Sciences. He was recently named the NIH Co-Chair for the President’s Precision Medicine Initiative and has conducted research particularly on clinical cardiovascular epidemiology, comparative effectiveness, and biostatistics.
The previous deputy director, Sally J. Rockey, PhD, departed earlier this month to serve as inaugural executive director of the Foundation for Food and Agriculture Research.