WASHINGTON, DC: Howard named director of CDC-NIOSH

John Howard, MD, has been named the new director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, effective immediately. Howard will assume a dual role. In addition to being the director of NIOSH, he will also serve as the World Trade Center Programs coordinator for HHS. Howard, who is currently a consultant at the CDC, served as NIOSH director from 2002 through 2008. He also served as coordinator of HHS' World Trade Center Health Programs from 2006 to 2008.