NIH Record - National Institutes of Health

White House Science Chief Lander Visits NIH

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NIH vaccine researchers sitting around a long conference table talking with Lander
At a coronavirus research response briefing in the VRC on Feb. 10 are (clockwise) Dr. Eric Lander (front, c), Kei Koizumi, Dr. John Mascola, Dr. Cliff Lane. Dr. Emily Erbelding, Dr. Alan Embry and Dr. Anthony Fauci. Several other NIH’ers participated via video conference.

Photo:  Chia-Chi Charlie Chang

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Koizumi, Lander and Fauci stand talking in front of video screen with purple slide, "NIAID and the COVID -19 Research Response"
OSTP Chief of Staff Koizumi (l) and Lander (c) chat with Fauci.

Photo:  Chia-Chi Charlie Chang

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Lane in blue shirt and white mask with hands extended as he speaks
Lane discusses his work as part of the NIH Covid-19 response.

Photo:  Chia-Chi Charlie Chang

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Mascola, in blue mask, sits holding eyeglasses.
Mascola provides a VRC overview with an emphasis on Covid-19 vaccine development.

Photo:  Chia-Chi Charlie Chang

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Erbelding, in black mask with arms folded, sitting in front of yellow wall, speaks.
Erbelding briefs the group.

Photo:  Chia-Chi Charlie Chang

Dr. Eric Lander, President Biden’s nominee to lead the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), visited NIH on Feb. 10. Accompanied by OSTP Chief of Staff Kei Koizumi, Lander met at the Vaccine Research Center with NIAID director Dr. Anthony Fauci, who also serves as Biden’s chief medical advisor.

Fauci gave an overview of NIAID with a focus on vaccine development; VRC director Dr. John Mascola provided a VRC overview with an emphasis on Covid-19 vaccine research. 

“Both emphasized the importance of prior basic research in speeding the development of a vaccine,” noted Dr. Cliff Lane, NIAID deputy director for clinical research and special projects, who also attended the meeting at the VRC, along with Dr. Emily Erbelding, director of the Division of Microbiology and Infectious Diseases (DMID), and Dr. Alan Embry, chief of DMID’s Respiratory Diseases Branch.

Joining the gathering by video were VRC deputy director Dr. Barney Graham; Dr. Daniel Rotrosen, director of the Division of Allergy, Immunology and Transplantation; NIAID principal deputy director Dr. Hugh Auchincloss; and Dr. Carl Dieffenbach, director of the Division of AIDS.

Lane and other division directors briefly discussed what their divisions are doing as part of the NIH Covid-19 response.

The NIH Record

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Assistant Editor: Eric Bock
Eric.Bock@nih.gov (link sends e-mail)

Staff Writer: Amber Snyder
Amber.Snyder@nih.gov (link sends e-mail)