When Anthony Letai took control of the National Cancer Institute in September, researchers had seen the federal government terminate billions in research grants, then had those grants restored by courts. Federal workers experienced multiple mass firings, including the loss of the NCI’s communications department. Two days after Letai was sworn in as director of the NCI, the government went through the longest shutdown in history due to a standstill over health care.
But for all the upheaval that American science and health went through in 2025, Letai’s appointment as NCI director was a relief to many in the cancer research community. Letai is a highly respected physician-scientist whose research accomplishments helped develop Venclexta, a core drug to the treatment of some blood cancers. The hope, cancer scientists told STAT, was that someone with his background and expertise would help give the world’s largest cancer research funder a sense of stability.
That’s the first, big challenge Letai wants to take on as director. Speaking to STAT, Letai said that he wanted to communicate that the NCI is on firmer ground than the public might currently perceive, and that the institute isn’t letting up on its mission to fight and reduce suffering from cancer.
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