President Biden begins his presidency with a variety of notable appointments and ideological contrasts to the previous administration. Several days prior to the inauguration, Biden announced his choice of Eric Lander, decorated geneticist and mathematician as director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), a position that requires Senate confirmation. With Senate approval, the position would be elevated to cabinet-level for the first time, a great step for the integration of scientific reasoning in policy.

Lander was a key figure in the Human Genome Project, the race to sequence the human genome, which ended in 2003, working together as colleagues with UCSC’s own David Haussler. Lander was also the president and founding director of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard in Cambridge, Massachusetts and will take a leave of absence during the new appointment.

David Haussler, Scientific Director of UCSC’s Genomics Insitute and Leader of the Team to First Complete and Publish the Human Genome Project

"Eric is a brilliant choice for Presidential Science Advisor. He is a person of absolutely amazing accomplishments and vision."

President Biden announced the new appointment and goals for the position in a January 15th Statement.

My hope is that you, working broadly and transparently with the diverse scientific leadership of American society and engaging the broader American public, will make recommendations to our administration on the general strategies, specific actions, and new structures that the federal government should adopt to ensure that our nation can continue to harness the full power of science and technology on behalf of the American people.