Genome mapper picked for presidential council

Eric Lander is the founding director of the Broad Institute.

A second local scientist - Eric S. Lander of the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard - was tapped by President-elect Barack Obama yesterday to join his slate of high-profile advisers.

Obama officially named Lander as cochair of a presidential council of advisers on science and technology. Lander, a biologist who focuses on human genome research, joins physicist John P. Holdren of the Harvard Kennedy School, whose selection was confirmed last week and made official yesterday.

Lander is founding director of the Broad Institute, and a leader in trying to leverage the knowledge of the human genome to better understand basic issues in medicine and find cures for disease.

Lander "was one of the driving forces behind mapping the human genome - one of the greatest scientific achievements in history," Obama said in his Saturday morning radio address, which focused on the importance of science in such issues as bioterror, global warming, and medical research.

"Today, more than ever before, science holds the key to our survival as a planet and our security and prosperity as a nation," Obama said. "It is time we once again put science at the top of our agenda and worked to restore America's place as the world leader in science and technology."

Lander, he said, "will be a powerful voice in my administration as we seek to find the causes and cures of our most devastating diseases."

Reached at home, Lander said that he had met with Obama twice so far and could not yet say what areas of science would be prioritized.

"It of course is an honor, but it's more the responsibility to serve right now," Lander said. "I can't think of a time when the problems and challenges facing the country - environment and energy, healthcare, education - had more to do with science and technology than they do today."

The appointment adds to a strong slate of scientific appointments.

Jane Lubchenco, a prominent environmental scientist from Oregon State University, internationally known for her work on marine and coastal issues, was chosen to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. That office does much of the government's research on global warming.

Lubchenco, who specializes in overfishing and climate change, will be the first woman to head NOAA. A member of the Pew Oceans Commission, Lubchenco has recommended steps to overcome damage to the world's oceans from overfishing and pollution.

Dr. Harold Varmus, a Nobel laureate known for his cancer research, who served as director of the National Institutes of Health, will cochair the presidential advisory council with Lander and Holdren.

Information from the Associated Press was included in this report.