While Ruth Kirschstein's appointment on Thursday as actingdirector and deputy director of the National Institutes of Healthwas no surprise, it was great news, said a highly placed sourcewithin the agency.

Kirschstein, who earlier had been head of the National Instituteof General Medical Sciences, "is respected by everyone, and sheis totally devoted to NIH and has no personal agenda, exceptthat NIH should be high quality and pay attention to basicsciences," said the source.

Bernadine Healy shook the agency up, for example, byestablishing the human genome mapping program "when itdidn't fit into the program" of NIH.

Kirschstein "is extensively experienced in the NIH system," saidthe source, "and will solidify the changes that have been made.She is also extremely fair. Whoever takes over will inherit awell-running operation from her."

Meanwhile, Bob Butler, head of New York's Mount SinaiHospital, has surfaced as a possible permanent replacement forHealy to head the agency. "The AIDS community and the agingcommunity ... are promoting Bob Butler," said D.A. Henderson,deputy assistant secretary for science and health at theDepartment of Health and Human Services. -- David C. Holzman

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