Biden and Harris announce White House science team
The presidential science adviser is being elevated to cabinet level for the first time.
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Biden and Harris have chosen their team of science advisers.
The Joe Biden-Kamala Harris transition team has announced who will serve on the White House science team under their administration. The advisers will help Biden and Harris deal with climate change, pandemics, racial inequity, the economic downturn and how technology impacts society, Biden and Harris said Tuesday.
The team includes Eric Lander as the presidential science adviser and director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy; Alondra Nelson as OSTP deputy director for science and society; Frances H. Arnold and Maria Zuber as co-chairs of the President's Council of Advisors on Science and Technology; Dr. Francis Collins as director of the National Institutes of Health; Kei Koizumi as OSTP chief of staff; and Narda Jones as OSTP legislative affairs director.
"From the coronavirus pandemic to our climate crisis, this past year has reaffirmed the importance of listening to scientists," Harris said. "In our administration, decisions will be informed by the best available science and evidence."
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The role of the presidential science adviser is also being elevated to cabinet level for the first time.
"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," Biden said.
The announcement comes a day ahead of Biden's inauguration Wednesday.