Effective Jan. 31, 2026, Gary H. Gibbons, M.D., director of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) at the National Institutes of Health (NIH), is retiring from federal service. Dr. Gibbons has led NHLBI since 2012, dedicating his time to championing research in the prevention and treatment of heart, lung, and blood diseases and sleep diseases and disorders. 

Under Dr. Gibbons’ leadership, NHLBI has made many scientific contributions in the fields of vascular biology, genomic medicine, and the pathogenesis of vascular diseases. Some of his most notable efforts include the NHLBI-supported Systolic Blood Pressure Intervention Trial (SPRINT), which showed that intensive blood pressure management, below a commonly recommended target, significantly reduces the risk of death from cardiovascular events across all age groups. Remarkable progress was made towards finding a cure for sickle cell disease (SCD) through the Cure Sickle Cell Initiative, which launched in late 2018. Notably, less than five years after its launch, the FDA approved the first gene therapies for SCD in December 2023.

Dr. Gibbons championed and advanced the use of big data through NHLBI’s TOPMed program, which has supported collection and analysis of whole genome and other molecular and clinical data from more than 200,000 participants in 90 diverse cohort studies. This impressive data source has served to generate major findings like new genetic variants linked to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), genetic risk factors and molecular pathways involved in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis, a serious lung disease with limited treatment option, and revealing genetic risk factors for obstructive sleep apnea, a common and serious sleep disorder. He also led NIH-wide initiatives like the Community Engagement Alliance (CEAL) initiative, and the NIH Researching COVID to Enhance Recovery (RECOVER) to address the disproportionate impacts of COVID-19 in specific communities across the country and examine the debilitating conditions that have come to be known as Long COVID respectively. 

Dr. Gibbons earned degrees from Princeton University and the Harvard Medical School. Prior to joining NIH, he served as the founding director of the Morehouse Cardiovascular Research Institute at the Morehouse School of Medicine, Atlanta. His research focuses on investigating the relationships between clinical phenotypes, behavior, molecular interactions, and social determinants on gene expression and their contribution to cardiovascular disease. He was elected to the Institute of Medicine in 2007 and is a recipient of the 2021 Samuel J. Heyman Service to American Medal, the 2023 Wenger Award for Excellence in Public Service, and the 2025 Research!America Builders of Science Award.

In addition to spending more time with family, Dr. Gibbons plans to continue doing what he loves by continuing his ongoing contributions to the field – asking questions and exploring scientific approaches toward answers that improve lives – through whatever settings and opportunities that arise. 

David Goff, M.D., Ph.D., will serve as Acting NHLBI Director while a search for a new director is conducted.