Dr. Lawrence A. Tabak was appointed as the seventh director of the NIDCR in September 2000. As Director, he provides leadership for a team of ~500 scientists, administrators and support staff with an approximate annual budget of ~$400 million. He has played a leadership role in several NIH-wide initiatives including the Interdisciplinary Research Teams of the Future component of the NIH Roadmap and the Enhancing Peer Review project. From November 13th, 2008 through August 14th, 2009, Dr. Tabak served as acting principal deputy director of the NIH. During this time, he helped coordinate NIH efforts related to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act from which $10.4B was allocated to the agency over FY09/10. While serving in the acting principal deputy director role, Dr. Tabak continued as NIDCR director.
Prior to joining NIH, Dr. Tabak was the senior associate dean for research and professor of dentistry and biochemistry & biophysics in the School of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Rochester in New York. A former NIH MERIT recipient, Dr. Tabak’s major research focus has been on the structure, biosynthesis, and function of mucin-glycoproteins. He continues work in this area, maintaining an active research laboratory (within NIDDK) in addition to his administrative duties.
Dr. Tabak has received several honors and awards for his work, including being elected a fellow of the AAAS and a member of the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Dr. Tabak received his undergraduate degree from City College of the City University of New York, his D.D.S. from Columbia University, and a Ph.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo.