The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is adding another leader to its lengthy string of departures, this time in the form of National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) Director Walter Koroshetz, M.D.
The agency has rebuffed the request to reappoint Koroshetz, according to an internal email the neuroscience leader sent to staff late last week. The letter was obtained by Stat, the first publication to report on the departure.
Koroshetz’s exit—expected Jan. 24—means that 14 of the NIH’s 27 units will be helmed by interim leaders. NINDS acting Deputy Director Amy Adams is expected to guide the institute as it searches for a new permanent successor.
“NIH has received robust interest in its open [institute chief] director positions,” Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS') spokesperson Andrew Nixon told Fierce Biotech. “Following closure of the announcements, an NIH leadership team with experience in scientific agency management will consider the applicant pool and make recommendations to the NIH director.”
Nixon did not respond to Fierce Biotech’s question about how the agency plans to address the dearth of permanent leadership.
Koroshetz joined the NIH in 2007 and has served as NINDS director for a decade. During his time as director, Koroshetz also led multiple cross-institute programs, including the Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies (BRAIN) Initiative, a partnership of both public and private entities that is designed to accelerate the understanding of the human brain.
The American Academy of Neurology (AAN)—the world’s largest association of neurologists and neuroscience professionals—voiced “significant concern over the abrupt decision” in a Dec. 27 press release.
“This decision was made without consulting key neurology stakeholders, and there was no formal announcement nor a clear succession plan for NINDS leadership,” the organization wrote. “NINDS plays a vital role in funding and directing research into the brain and central nervous system.”
“Discoveries resulting from NINDS funded research have saved countless lives and made it possible for millions of Americans to live better with neurological disease,” the AAN continued. “For this critical work to continue, it is essential that NINDS has strong leadership that will remain committed to evidence-based medicine.”
The AAN’s message echoes the many recent calls for stable federal leadership in the life sciences.
In November, hundreds of biotech leaders expressed concern that ongoing volatility at the FDA will discourage overall investment in biotech innovation or will drive it to other countries.
After the dramatic news of Richard Pazdur, M.D., retiring shortly after his appointment to lead the FDA’s Center for Drug Evaluation and Research (CDER), John Crowley, CEO of the industry group Biotechnology Innovation Organization, warned that the “constant turmoil is undermining America’s leadership in biotechnology.”
Following the CDER’s recent appointment of known vaccine critic Tracy Beth Høeg, M.D., Ph.D., to lead the organization, an mRNA alliance demanded steady FDA leadership and said the lack of stability is eroding Americans’ trust and threatening public health.
Across the entire HHS, the Trump-implemented leadership team has deeply altered and shrunk the size of most agencies under its umbrella, including the NIH. The institute has already denied reappointments of other directors, such as Eric Green, M.D., Ph.D., who led the National Human Genome Research Institute until March 2025.