President Bush Names Niederhuber NCI Director

WASHINGTON—President Bush has appointed John E. Niederhuber, MD, as director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI). He is the Institute's 13th director, succeeding Andrew C. von Eschenbach, MD, who has been nominated as commissioner of the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

Dr. Niederhuber brings a wealth of experience to NCI, as a former cancer center director, former chair of the National Cancer Advisory Board (NCAB), member of the Institute's senior management team for the last year, and acting NCI director since June 2006. In addition to his NCI administrative duties, Dr. Niederhuber holds a clinical appointment as a member of the medical staff at the NIH Clinical Centers.

Dr. Niederhuber joined NCI in September 2005 as deputy director for translational and clinical sciences and almost immediately became NCI's chief operating officer after Dr. von Eschenbach was named FDA acting director.

Dr. Niederhuber came to NCI from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine, where he served as professor of surgery and oncology and as director of its Comprehensive Cancer Center from 1997 to 2002. Dr. Niederhuber earned his medical degree at Ohio State University School of Medicine, Columbus.