Elected President Joe Biden announced Friday that he will hold the first scientific position in the White House for the first time in U.S. history.
The whole picture: Biden said he has chosen Eric Lander to be his presidential scientific adviser and that he will nominate the geneticist as the director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. Biden has also announced other key members of his science team, including Francis Collins, who will remain as director of the National Institutes of Health.
The White House Science Team includes:
- Lander, who will be appointed as OSTP director and serve as the presidential scientific adviser.
- Alondra Nelson, who will serve as the OSTP Deputy Director for Science and Society.
- Frances Arnold and Maria Zuber, who will serve as external co-chairs of the President’s Board of Advisors on Science and Technology.
- Collins, who will continue to lead the NIH.
- Kei Koizumi, who will serve as OSTP Chief of Staff.
- Narda Jones, who will serve as director of the OSTP legislative affairs.
What he says: “Science will always be at the forefront of my administration – and these world-renowned scientists will ensure that everything we do is based on science, facts and the truth,” Biden said in a statement.
- “Their reliable guidance will be essential as we come together to end this pandemic, bring back our economy, and pursue new breakthroughs to improve the quality of life of all Americans.”