POL: Varmus resigns - this is copied from the Washington Fax see end of post.

[Nita Andres <andres2@xxxxxxxxxx>]

> Special Edition: Harold Varmus resigns as NIH director
>
> *****************************************************
>
> It's official.
>
> After months of rumor, speculation and precocious reports that he would,
> Harold Varmus this morning resigned his position as director of the
> National Institutes of Health (NIH). Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center
> in New York City is expected to announce at a press conference this
> afternoon that Varmus will become president of that institution at the end
> of the year.
>
> In a prepared statement, Department of Health and Human Services Secretary
> Donna Shalala said:
>
> "The appointment of Harold Varmus as director of the National Institutes of
> Health (NIH) was one of the most important accomplishments of this
> Administration. From the day he arrived at NIH he began making a great
> institution extraordinary. To have a scientist of his brilliance and
> stature lead NIH has been invaluable to the scientific community and to the
> American people.
>
> "History will judge him as the leader who brought new energy, vision, and
> excitement to the world's greatest scientific institution. His legacy will
> be the brightest young scientists of this generation, who now see a future
> in NIH's laboratories and clinics and in the nation's other great research
> institutions. The solid, generous, bipartisan support NIH now enjoys is due
> in large part to his leadership. We wish him well in his new position."
>
> In a statement from the Federation of American Societies for Experimental
> Biology (FASEB) David Kaufman said of Varmus that "his enthusiasm and
> `bench scientist' approach to research policy is refreshing and convincing
> to the public, his colleagues in science, and policy makers in Washington.
> As Director of NIH, he conveyed the excitement of science and the
> researcher's dedication to discovery and its potential to improve human
> health."
>
> "Few individuals can be said to have done so much to improve human health
> as can Harold Varmus. As he leaves the NIH Directorship and moves on to his
> next challenge at Memorial Sloan-Kettering, we wish him good fortune in his
> new endeavor. We shall miss him and the strength of character and skill
> which he brings to our common goal: the improvement of human health through
> the tools of science."
>
> ********************************************************
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> 
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>
  I promised them I would let you know how to get a temporary
subscription. I did that. Nita
Interesting bit of news.