NIA Director Richard J. Hodes to Retire December 7 After Leading the Institute Since 1993
National Institutes of Health (NIH) Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya issued a statement on November 4 recognizing Richard J. Hodes, M.D., Director of the National Institute on Aging (NIA), as he prepares to retire on December 7, 2026. Dr. Hodes has led NIA since 1993, guiding the Institute through more than three decades of scientific discovery as its annual budgetary appropriation increased from $400 million in 1993 to $4.6 billion in 2026.
According to the statement, Dr. Hodes spurred critical progress in NIH-funded Alzheimer's disease (AD) and AD-related dementias (ADRD) research. Following passage of the National Alzheimer's Project Act in 2011 and subsequent growth in dedicated dementia research funding, he led the expansion of NIA's AD/ADRD initiatives and coordinated scientific partnerships across the federal government and the wider dementia research community. His tenure saw significant advancements in genetics, prevention, diagnostics, and care, as well as FDA approval of the first disease-modifying therapies for AD. In 2020, he partnered with the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke to launch the NIH Center for Alzheimer's and Related Dementias (CARD).
Dr. Hodes also helped pioneer the field of geroscience, which investigates the biological mechanisms of aging as common drivers of chronic diseases of older adulthood, and played leadership roles in NIH Common Fund programs including MoTrPAC and the Cellular Senescence Network (SenNet).
A graduate of Yale University, Dr. Hodes received his M.D. from Harvard Medical School. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine, a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and a retired Rear Admiral of the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. In addition to serving as NIA Director, he has remained an active intramural scientist in the National Cancer Institute.
Following his departure, NIA Acting Deputy Director Kenneth Santora, Ph.D., will lead NIA as the search for a permanent director ensues. Dr. Hodes will continue to serve NIH as a Special Volunteer, mentoring within the NIA Intramural Research Program and supporting NIA leadership during the transition.
(Source: National Institutes of Health)
Source: National Institutes of Health
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
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