Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., director, National Institutes of Health (NIH) announced the appointment of Raynard S. Kington, M.D., Ph.D., as the new deputy director of the National Institutes of Health.

"I am delighted to have Dr. Kington at my side as deputy director during this critical time for biomedical research," said Dr. Zerhouni. "He has shown great talent and has the right combination of skills and experience to help the NIH move forward in these revolutionary times for the biomedical sciences."

"NIH is the main engine behind medical discovery in this country and it is a great honor to be given this opportunity," said Dr. Kington. "I am looking forward to working with Dr. Zerhouni and the NIH leadership to help set the course for biomedical research in the 21st century."

Dr. Kington assumes the position held by Ruth Kirschstein, M.D. Dr. Kirschstein served as NIH deputy director since 1993, as well as Acting NIH director from January 2000 to May 2002. She will become the senior advisor to the NIH director.

Dr. Kington has served as NIH associate director for Behavioral and Social Sciences Research and director of the NIH Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research since November 2000. He also served as the acting director for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) from January 2002 until September 2002.

Dr. Kington came to NIH from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). As director of the Division of Health Examination Statistics in the CDC's National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), he led the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), a comprehensive, ongoing survey of the health status, health behaviors, and diet of people in the United States.

Before joining the CDC, Dr. Kington was a senior scientist at the RAND Corporation, where he co-directed the Drew/RAND Center on Health and Aging.

Dr. Kington earned undergraduate and medical degrees from the University of Michigan and then completed his residency training in Internal Medicine at Michael Reese Medical Center in Chicago. He attended the University of Pennsylvania as a Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholar, earning his M.B.A. and his Ph.D. in Health Policy and Economics from The Wharton School.

Board-certified in Internal Medicine and Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Dr. Kington's research has focused on social factors as determinants of health. His research has included studies of the role of socioeconomic status in explaining differences in health across populations; the determinants of health care services utilization; the health status and health behaviors of Hispanic and black immigrant populations; and the economic impact of health care expenditures among the elderly.