Biden elevates science post to cabinet level
WASHINGTON: US President-elect Joe Biden announced late on Friday he is upgrading the White House science adviser position to cabinet-level -- a sharp break from predecessor Donald Trump as America grapples with the pandemic.
The former vice-president will have to grapple with a nation hard-hit by Covid-19: known infections have surpassed 23 million with almost 400,000 deaths recorded.
Eric Lander, a geneticist who helped map the human genome, will head the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and advise Biden.
"Science will always be at the forefront of my administration -- and these world-renowned scientists will ensure everything we do is grounded in science, facts, and the truth," Biden said in a statement announcing the appointment of Lander and other experts.
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