Nelson, Collins to fill void left by Lander at White House

U.S. President Joe Biden picked Alondra Nelson to replace Eric Lander as director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and former NIH Director Francis Collins to be his acting science adviser and co-chair of the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology until permanent leadership is nominated and confirmed. Nelson has been serving as OSTP’s deputy director for science and society. Last week, Lander resigned as OSTP director amid allegations of creating a toxic work environment.

Ribon Therapeutics Inc. hired Prakash Raman as president, CEO and a board member. Raman succeeds Victoria Richon, who will become an R&D adviser and chair of the company’s scientific advisory board. Raman was a senior partner and chief business development officer at Flagship Pioneering and VP, global head of Novartis Institutes for Biomedical Research business development and licensing at Novartis AG (SIX:NOVN; NYSE:NVS). Ribon is developing small molecule inhibitors of NAD⁺-utilizing enzymes. ...