Announcing the retirement of Dr. Jerry Menikoff, Director of the Office for Human Research Protections (OHRP)

Dr. Menikoff’s substantial contributions focused on protecting the rights, welfare, and well-being of subjects involved in research conducted or supported by HHS. As the Director of OHRP, Dr. Menikoff had a direct impact on providing leadership in the protection of subjects by offering clarification and guidance, developing educational programs and materials, and maintaining regulatory oversight. Among his many achievements during his tenure at OHRP was his leadership of the revisions to the Common Rule. Dr. Menikoff’s efforts led to regulatory changes that strengthen informed consent and promote the trustworthiness of the research enterprise.

Prior to joining OHRP, Dr. Menikoff also served as the director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Human Subjects Research, responsible for day-to-day oversight of the NIH intramural research program's human research protection program, including policy development and educational activities.

Dr. Menikoff held several academic positions prior to his government service. He served for nine years as the chair of the human subjects committee and the hospital ethics committee at the University of Kansas Medical Center. He was also on the faculty of schools of law at the University of Chicago and other esteemed universities. Most recently, before coming to the federal government, he was Associate Professor of Law, Ethics and Medicine at the University of Kansas.

Dr. Menikoff's research interests have concentrated on bioethics in general, and more particularly on the ethics of research with human subjects. Dr. Menikoff is the author of Law and Bioethics: An Introduction (Georgetown University Press) and What the Doctor Didn’t Say: The Hidden Truth about Medical Research (Oxford University Press).

OHRP wishes Dr. Menikoff well in his future endeavors, and thanks him for his exemplary and meaningful leadership.

Julie Kaneshiro will be serving as the Acting Director of OHRP starting January 1, 2023.