PEOPLE ON THE MOVE
The director of the National Institute of Mental Health(NIMH) is leaving the US Department of Health and Human Services to join Google Life Sciences (GLS).
Google recently restructured its company and will launch its life sciences division as a separate organisation under new holding company Alphabet. GLS is working on technologies to change healthcare, such as contact lenses with a blood sugar monitor for diabetics.
Thomas Inselm said he is joining the company to see how technology can be applied to mental illness.
“That the life sciences team at Google would establish a major exploration into mental health is by itself a significant statement — recognizing the burden of illness from psychosis, mood disorders, and autism as well as the opportunity for technology to make a major impact to change the world for the millions affected.
“The Google philosophy has been to seek a 10x impact on hard problems. I am looking forward to a 10x challenge in mental health.”
He will leave NIMH at the beginning of November after 13 years as director.
In a statement, Inselm said he had planned to quit after ten years, but “stayed longer because of the fun of first launching a new Institute, the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS), and then the BRAIN Initiative, as well as my passion for what we have been doing at NIMH.
“I am not leaving because of a problem or crisis. Indeed, I chose this moment because I wanted to leave at a high point: for the first time in many years we have a complete and completely outstanding leadership team at NIMH, we have excellent engagement from the advocacy community, we have unprecedented support from Congress, and we have an inspiring strategic plan. I want to step away at the best of times with all signs pointing to a bright future.”
NIMH insider Bruce Cuthbert has been appointed acting director while the institute finds a long-term successor.
