President Biden named W. Kimryn Rathmell, MD, PhD, as next director of the National Cancer Institute (NCI), where she will help oversee several White House-backed initiatives intended to reduce cancer deaths and accelerate clinical breakthroughs. As director of the National Cancer Institute, Dr. Rathmell will play a central role in carrying out Cancer Moonshot initiatives by coordinating efforts across the federal government and the private sector, improving access to cancer screening and taking other steps intended to reduce the death rate from cancer by at least 50% by 2047.
 
Dr. Rathmell has been a member of the National Cancer Institute’s board of scientific advisers since 2018, providing guidance to the institute’s leaders on its scientific research and operations. She has held leadership positions for the Kidney Cancer Research Foundation, and the American Society for Clinical Investigation and is an ASCO fellow. Dr. Rathmell will begin this new role in December.
 
ASTRO looks forward to working with Dr. Rathmell in her new role at NCI on efforts to improve American cancer care, such as initiatives to increase clinical trial diversity and accelerate research toward cancer cures. Given that more than half of people diagnosed with cancer will receive radiation therapy, we are particularly eager to partner to ensure that radiation oncologists contribute meaningfully to achieving President Biden’s Cancer Moonshot goals.