WASHINGTON – United States president-elect Joe Biden yesterday announced that he is upgrading the White House science adviser position to be cabinet-level – sharp break from Donald Trump as the country grapples with the Covid-19 pandemic.
The former vice-president will have to deal with a nation hit hard by the coronavirus, with known infections having surpassed 23 million and almost 400,000 deaths recorded.
Eric Lander, a geneticist who helped map the human genome, will head the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and advise Biden.
“Science will always be at the forefront of my administration – and these world-renowned scientists will ensure everything we do is grounded in science, facts and the truth,” said Biden in a statement announcing the appointment of Lander and other experts.
“Their trusted guidance will be essential as we come together to end this pandemic, bring our economy back, and pursue new breakthroughs to improve the quality of life of all Americans.”
Lander is president and founding director of the Broad Institute of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard, a top non-profit biomedical research body.
He tweeted that he is “humbled and excited” to serve, adding: “So much to be done, and it will take everyone working together.”
Trump is famously sceptical of science, questioning climate change and once referring to Anthony Fauci and other government pandemic advisers who called on Americans to wear masks and practise social distancing as “idiots”. – AFP, January 16, 2021
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