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1991.06.18 :  Appointment -- Kenneth Olden

Contact:  Marc Stern (301) 496-2535
June 18, 1991

     HHS Secretary Louis W. Sullivan, M.D., today announced the
selection of Kenneth Olden, Ph.D., as director of the National
Institute of Environmental Health Sciences in Research Triangle
Park, N.C.
     A part of the National Institutes of Health, NIEHS is
responsible for biomedical research on the effects of chemical,
physical, and biological environmental agents on human health. 
It supports and conducts basic and targeted research focused on
the interaction between people and potentially toxic agents in
the environment.
     Bernadine Healy, M.D., director of the National Institutes
of Health, said, "Our agency is fortunate to have such an
outstanding basic scientist and proven leader as NIEHS director. 
Dr. Olden's work at NIEHS will impact on every man, woman and
child in the country.  I am very pleased for Dr. Olden to be the
first appointment during my tenure as NIH director."
     In addition to being NIEHS director, Dr. Olden will be
director of the National Toxicology Program, a cooperative effort
within HHS to strengthen the federal science base in toxicology
and to coordinate the toxicological research and testing
activities of four U.S. Public Health Service agencies.  Both
these positions were opened when David P. Rall, M.D., Ph.D.,
retired last October. The positions have been held on an acting
basis by David G. Hoel, who is director of NIEHS' Division of
Biometry and Risk Assessment.
     Dr. Olden comes to the NIEHS directorship from Howard
University College of Medicine in Washington, D.C., where during
the past 12 years he has held a number of managerial and
scientific positions.  Since 1985 he has served as director of
the Howard University Cancer Center and professor and chairman of
the department of oncology, Howard University Medical School.
     Prior to his appointments at Howard University, Dr. Olden
was a research scientist from 1974 to 1979 in the Division of
Cancer Biology and Diagnosis of the National Cancer Institute. 
His major research interest is cancer cell biology, particularly
cancer metastasis.  Before coming to NIH, Dr. Olden spent four
years as a research fellow and instructor of physiology at
Harvard Medical School.

     Dr. Olden received his B.S. degree in biology in 1960 from
Knoxville College, his M.S. degree in 1964 from the University of
Michigan, and his Ph.D. in 1970 from Temple University in
Philadelphia.

     In January 1991, Dr. Olden was appointed by President Bush
to the National Cancer Advisory Board, a position he will
relinquish when he assumes the NIEHS position.  He is a member of
the editorial boards of three journals:  Cancer Research, Cell
Regulations and the Journal of the National Cancer Institute.

     Dr. Olden is the author of numerous basic science articles,
and while at the Howard University Medical Center held a number
of grants from the NIH.  He published two of the "One Hundred
Most Cited" papers in 1978-1979, one of which--on the subject of
cancer cell biology--is now deemed a "Citation Classic."

     The NIEHS is one of NIH's 13 institutes.  The other NIH
institutes are in Bethesda, Md.  NIH is one of the eight Public
Health Service agencies within HHS.


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