NIH director, Elias Zerhouni, is committed to moving stem cell research forward

NIH director, Elias Zerhouni, is committed to moving stem cell research forward

Elias Zerhouni, Director of the National Institutes of Health, has expressed enthusiastic interest in advancing stem cell research. In National Public Radio's "Talk of the Nation" on September 20, Zerhouni voiced his thoughts on the value of this type of research. He believes that this field demands a long-term investment reaching several areas of research from basic studies to complex investigations.

Zerhouni testified to the Senate labor/HHS subcommittee on behalf of stem cell research in late September. This hearing was scheduled a month after the one-year anniversary of President Bush's August 9, 2001 stem cell research directive that allows federal funding only for stem cell lines in existence at the point of the policy decision. Zerhouni’s testimony addressed the NIH Stem Cell Task Force, which seeks to resolve challenges that hinder research with embryonic stem cells.

This level of support and action should come as an encouragement to investigators interested in stem cell research, as it appears that key players are dedicated to overcoming the controversy and obstacles in the way of this field of research.

Source: Washington Fax, September 24, 2002