Johns Hopkins Radiologist Named to Head National Institutes of Health

Dr. Elias Zerhouni, a distinguished radiologist who also has a business background, has been named by the White House as the new Director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Zerhouni, whose appointment is subject to confirmation by the U.S. Senate, is currently professor of radiology and Executive Vice Dean at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. John Rogers, Education and Advocacy Director of the Parkinson’s Action Network, had this to say regarding Dr. Zerhouni’s nomination, “I’m very pleased that the President has nominated a Director. We’re going to do all we can to help facilitate a speedy confirmation process in the Senate. We are hopeful that Dr. Zerhouni will take an aggressive approach to implementing the Parkinson’s Research Agenda.”

Born in Algeria and a graduate of the University of Algiers Medical School, Dr. Zerhouni came to the United States in 1975 for his medical residency. He has been at Hopkins for most of his career.

Observers say that Dr. Zerhouni will inevitably be drawn into the continuing controversy over NIH sponsorship of embryonic stem cell research for diseases such as Parkinson’s. While it is believed unlikely that he will make any statements on this subject pending his confirmation hearings, he is known to have been influential in the creation and organization of a new $58 million institute at Hopkins dedicated to stem cell research.

NIH, mainly through the National Institute for Neurological Diseases and Stroke (NINDS), will conduct and fund about $200 million worth of research on Parkinson’s disease during the current fiscal year. NINDS remains without a permanent Director since the departure of Dr. Gerald Fischbach more than a year ago. The post of Acting Director is being ably filled by Dr. Audrey Penn.