Dr. Brennan Publicly Sworn in as NLM Director

On September 12, Patricia Flatley Brennan, RN, PhD, raised her right hand and became the first nurse and first woman to be sworn in as director of the 180-year-old U.S. National Library of Medicine (NLM).

Hundreds gathered in person with hundreds more tuned in online to witness the historic occasion that NIH Director Francis Collins, MD, called a “great day for NIH.” Deputy Director and former Acting Director of NLM Betsy Humphreys called Dr. Brennan the right choice at the right time.

Dr. Brennan, a nurse and an industrial engineer, joined the Library from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she was the Lillian S. Moehlman-Bascom Professor, School of Nursing and College of Engineering.

The U.S. National Library of Medicine is the largest biomedical library in the world. The Library is dedicated to accelerating scientific discovery, delivering information, and improving health. The Library is supported and promoted by the Friends of the National Library of Medicine, which publishes NIH MedlinePlus magazine.