University of Iowa medical faculty member and entrepreneur Kim Leslie has been elected to the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Council on Councils, a body that directly advises the NIH Director.

Leslie is chair and departmental executive office for the UI Carver College of Medicine Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology. Additionally, in 2014 she and colleagues in the department co-founded Immortagen, which is developing a range of products and services to help oncologists provide patients personalized cancer care using the results of genetic testing of their tumors.

The NIH announcement about Leslie’s appointment is available on the NIH website.

The 27-member Council of Councils was established to advise the NIH director on policies and activities of the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives (DPCPSI), including making recommendations on research that represents important areas of emerging scientific opportunities, rising public health challenges, or knowledge gaps that deserve special emphasis or would otherwise benefit from strategic planning and coordination.

NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 institutes and centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases.

The NIH is the University of Iowa’s largest source of public external funding. In FY 2015, the UI received $163.4 million from the NIH in support of medical research.