Biden names Renee Wegrzyn as first head of ARPA-H

American president Joe Biden is set to appoint Renee Wegrzyn as the first director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), a new agency established to drive biomedical innovation.

ARPA-H was created by the Biden Administration in March 2022, with the aim of pushing the limits of US biomedical and health research and innovation. It will embrace proven models of tapping talent and expertise from across industry, academia, and government to bring new ideas and approaches, as well as the ability to marshal resources through public-private partnerships.

The agency is to be underpinned by equitable action, ensuring all projects consider equity in their design, support impactful breakthroughs, expand health care access, and improve access for all patients regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability and income level.