President Joe Biden tapped two familiar faces to temporarily fill the lab shoes of the former top White House scientist who was forced to resign last week for mistreating staffers.
Biden announced Wednesday that Dr. Alondra Nelson was named acting director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy — a role left vacant by Dr. Eric Lander, who was shown the door after an internal review found credible evidence that he bullied and demeaned his employees.
Nelson had been serving as an OSTP deputy, studying social inequality in science.
Dr. Francis Collins will fill Landers’ other roles as Science Advisor to the President and Co-Chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, the White House announced Wednesday.
Collins headed up the National Institutes of Health for 12 years before stepping down on good terms last year. A permanent NIH leader had yet to be appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.
Nelson and Collins will serve until a permanent OSTP leader and top science advisor can be nominated and confirmed, Biden said in a press release.
The Democrat said the duo would “drive science and technology solutions to our greatest challenges” including finding cures and treatments for cancer, infectious diseases and Alzheimer’s.
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