Newswise — ARLINGTON, Va., May 15, 2023 — The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) today expressed its strong support for President Joseph R. Biden Jr.’s nomination of Monica Bertagnolli, MD, as director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) with the following statement from Geraldine M. Jacobson, MD, MBA, MPH, FASTRO, Chair of the ASTRO Board of Directors:
“ASTRO applauds the nomination of cancer expert Dr. Monica Bertagnolli to lead the National Institutes of Health. Dr. Bertagnolli is a strong advocate for research, innovation and equity, as her work at the helm of the National Cancer Institute demonstrates.
The radiation oncology community looks forward to working with Dr. Bertagnolli in her new role at the NIH on efforts to improve American health care, such as initiatives to increase clinical trial diversity and accelerate research toward cancer cures. Given that more than half of people diagnosed with cancer will receive radiation therapy, we are particularly eager to work with her to ensure that radiation oncologists contribute meaningfully to achieving President Biden’s goal of reducing cancer mortality by 50% over the next 25 years.
We believe that Dr. Bertagnolli is the ideal person to lead the NIH at this critical time, and we urge the Senate to confirm her nomination as soon as possible.”
ABOUT ASTRO
The American Society for Radiation Oncology (ASTRO) is the largest radiation oncology society in the world, with nearly 10,000 members who are physicians, nurses, biologists, physicists, radiation therapists, dosimetrists and other health care professionals who specialize in treating patients with radiation therapies. For information on radiation therapy, visit RTAnswers.org. To learn more about ASTRO, visit our website and media center and follow us on social media.
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