Awkward window at NIH

WASHINGTON - Although it came as no surprise, the announcement last week that Harold Varmus would resign as director of the NIH came at an awkward time.

When he accepted the top NIH job in 1993, Varmus said he expected to stay about six years, and in that time he is widely credited with revitalizing NIH by attracting top scientific talent and winning massive budget increases from Congress. But with a presidential election campaign already in full swing, the prospects for naming a replacement are cloudy...