On Nov. 9, 2023, the National Institute of health (NIH) announced that Monica M. Bertagnolli, M.D., had begun duties as the 17th director of the NIH, the nationﾒs biomedical research agency and largest public funder of biomedical research in the world.

She is the first surgeon and the second woman to hold the position. Nominated by President Biden, Dr. Bertagnolli was confirmed on a bipartisan basis by the U.S. Senate on November 7.