The Trump administration is expected to name cancer researcher Dr. Anthony Letai as the new head of its National Cancer Institute (NCI). According to two people familiar with the matter, the announcement could come as early as Monday. This appointment would place Dr. Letai at the helm of a sprawling operation within the National Institutes of Health (NIH) that manages billions of dollars in federal grants and research programs dedicated to the causes, prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of cancer. Dr. Letai is a medical oncologist at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute and a professor at Harvard Medical School, where his research has focused primarily on leukemia. He also serves as the current president of the Society for Functional Precision Medicine.
A Broader Context of NIH Scrutiny
Dr. Letai’s selection comes as the Trump administration has faced growing scrutiny over its plans for cancer research and the NIH more broadly. The NCI has been without a permanent leader since President Donald Trump’s inauguration. Trump officials have previously sought to cap costs tied to federal research grants, a move that drew criticism from universities that warned it would decimate their ability to conduct critical laboratory work. The administration also canceled a number of cancer-related research grants as part of a government-wide effort to slash spending. The White House has even floated a further downsizing of the NIH as part of its latest budget proposal, which includes cutting the NCI’s budget by more than a third.
A Look at Other Candidates
Dr. Letai emerged as the top choice to run the institute amidst this upheaval, following the consideration of several other candidates. Among those discussed were Yale School of Public Health professor Dr. Harvey Risch, who gained prominence during the Covid-19 pandemic for his outspoken support of the controversial antimalarial drug hydroxychloroquine. Other potential candidates considered included Dr. Wafik El-Deiry, a cancer researcher who runs Brown University’s cancer center, and Dr. Manuel Hidalgo, a pancreatic cancer specialist at NYU Langone Health.
Author’s Opinion
The selection of a respected cancer researcher like Dr. Letai, despite the administration’s broader skepticism and proposed budget cuts for the NIH, sends a complex signal. While the appointment of a qualified professional could be seen as a sign of moderation, the underlying threat of budget reductions still looms large. The challenge for Dr. Letai will be to lead the NCI and its vast research programs while navigating a political environment that has been openly critical of the very institutions he is being asked to lead. His success will be measured not just by his ability to advance cancer research, but by his ability to maintain the integrity and funding of the NCI in a climate of political and financial uncertainty.
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