WASHINGTON -- President Bush called on the NationalInstitutes of Health to "lead us to a new age of biotechnology"at the formal swearing-in ceremony for NIH Director BernadineHealy on Monday.

Praising the NIH's accomplishments, Bush said: "NIH-supportedresearchers have developed many of the tools used inbiotechnology. They have created training and educationprograms to enlarge the pool of researchers."

In her acceptance speech, Healy said that the NIH has "usheredin an era of molecular biology, and with it spawned the entirebiotechnology industry."

Healy, who became NIH director in April, has substantialbiotechnology credentials. Prior to accepting the top NIHposition, she was chairwoman of the Research Institute of TheCleveland Clinic Foundation. During the Reagan administrationshe served as deputy director of the White House Office ofScience and Technology Policy and was chairwoman of theWhite House Cabinet Working Group on Biotechnology.

Healy has also served as a member of the White House ScienceCouncil and as chairwoman of the Advisory Panel for NewDevelopments in Biotechnology of the congressional Office ofTechnology Assessment. -- Steve Usdin

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