Elizabeth Nabel, the director of the National Institutes of Health's National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI) will be leaving her post on January 1, 2010 to take a position as president and CEO of Brigham and Women's/Faulkner Hospitals in Boston, according to internal NIH emails.

Elizabeth Nabel Image: NHLBI

Nabel, a cardiologist by training, joined NHLBI 10 years ago as the institute's scientific director of clinical research. She took over the top spot at the institute in 2005. Nabel's research addresses genetic and cellular therapies for cardiovascular disease, and her NHLBI lab identified p27, a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, as a major regulator of vascular cell proliferation during arterial remodeling. Earlier this year, Nabel's name was bandied about as a possible candidate for the post of NIH director, ultimately filled by Francis Collins.

"Over the next few weeks, I will be working with Drs. Collins and [Raynard] Kington [NIH's deputy director] to prepare a smooth transition for the NHLBI," Nabel wrote in an email sent to institute staff today (October 22). "The NHLBI is in a strong position, thanks to your talents and hard work. I am so very proud of what we have accomplished together over the past 5 years."

Correction (October 23): The original version of this story incorrectly spelled the first name of the NIH's deputy director, Raynard Kington. The Scientist regrets the error.


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