Bernadine Healy, a cardiologist who was the first woman to head the National Institutes of Health (NIH) from 1991 to 1993, died Saturday in brain cancer.
Appointed by President George H. W. Bush, was a director of Healy franc NIH during a tumultuous period. She proposed initiative on women's health, $ 625 million a study that followed more than 140,000 women in part to learn more about the health effects of estrogen replacement therapy. Although some researchers questioned the cost management and top-down initiative, it proved its value a decade later, showing that taking estrogen increases the risk of stroke, heart disease and cancer of the womb of a woman.
Healy fought a powerful member of Congress, Representative John Dingell (D-MI), the scientific misconduct investigations involving laboratory of David Baltimore Nobel laureate and the role of Robert Gallo in the discovery of the AIDS virus. James Watson, the first director of the Human Genome Project, quit after clashes with Healy. But she made a smart hire by replacing it with Francis Collins, who is now director of the NIH.
Healy designed the first Strategic Plan for NIH, which went nowhere, meeting resistance. She also oversaw the transfer of mental health, alcoholism and drug addiction institutes of another NIH agency. And she became caught in a battle on fetal tissue research; as a person appointed by the administration, it supported the banning of Bush before Congress.
"She was very talented very intelligent, energetic woman, who rubbed some people the wrong way, but when she believed in something she was extremely helpful to get implemented" said Anthony Fauci, director of the National Institute of allergy and infectious diseases.
David Korn of Harvard medical School, who was dean of the Stanford medical school at the time, said Healy was " in a difficult situation, "as one of the few women in management positions at NIH. His experience as a cardiologist and the desire to "societies" NIH has attracted "hostility" basic scientists who worried their funding, said Korn. However, the strategic plan was an "overview" of the NIH director on, Elias Zerhouni, did when he created an office to analyze the NIH portfolio, said Korn. "I think he was very attentive and forethinking her," said Korn.
President Bill Clinton did not accept Healy, who later became the dean of the medical faculty of Ohio State University. She also ran unsuccessfully for the Senate and led the Red Cross during the 9/11 terrorist attacks. She worked as an editor and columnist of health US News and World Report until last year when a brain tumor that was removed in 1999 reappeared. She was 67 when she died.
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