Dr. Kyle Walsh to head National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has announced Kyle Walsh, Ph.D. as the new director of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) and the National Toxicology Program.

U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. chose Dr. Walsh based on his expertise in neuro-epidemiology and his contributions to glial senescence and gliomagenesis. Secretary Kennedy and NIH Director Dr. Jay Bhattacharya both expressed excitement for Dr. Walsh’s leadership.

Dr. Walsh re-emphasized the department’s goals of enhancing public health and preventing chronic illnesses. They will achieve this by using a collaborative approach on research.

Dr. Walsh’s bio, according to the NIH:

“At Duke University, Dr. Walsh served as associate professor of neurosurgery, pathology, population health sciences, and pediatrics. He also directed the Division of Neuro-epidemiology. He was a Senior Fellow in the Duke Center for the Study of Aging and Human Development and a member of the Duke Cancer Institute, where he co-led the Neuro-Oncology Research Program. In addition, Dr. Walsh helped to guide research efforts following the 2023 train derailment in East Palestine, Ohio, providing scientific leadership to U.S. Senators in the state and opening the door for important collaborations across multiple federal agencies.

Dr. Walsh holds bachelor’s degrees in molecular genetics and anthropology from The Ohio State University, Columbus. He earned his Ph.D. in chronic disease epidemiology from the Yale School of Public Health, New Haven, Connecticut, and completed postdoctoral training at the University of California, San Francisco. At NIEHS, Dr. Walsh succeeds the institute’s previous director, Rick Woychik, Ph.D., who took a new position in the NIH Office of the Director to help advance Make America Healthy Again initiatives.”