Life After NIH

Elias Zerhouni, the head of NIH during the Bush administration, is taking on a new role. He will be heading up global R&D at Sanofi-Aventis, reports Fierce Biotech. Zerhouni is replacing Marc Cluzel who resigned. Since leaving NIH, Zerhouni has consulted for Sanofi-Aventis, served on the boards of the Mayo Clinic and the Lasker Foundation, and worked at the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation and Johns Hopkins University, adds Nature's The Great Beyond blog. "I have had the privilege of working with Elias for a long time. Through his vast experience and visionary approach, he has provided excellent advice and insight and has been central in implementing what is now one of the most promising R&D models in healthcare," says Sanofi-Aventis CEO Christopher Viehbacher in a statement.