Lawrence A. Tabak

Lawrence A. Tabak (born 1951) is an American dentist and biomedical scientist serving as the principal deputy director of the National Institutes of Health. He served as acting director from 2021 to 2023. Previously he was the director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research from 2000 to 2010.

Education Tabak is a native of Brooklyn, New York. He received his undergraduate degree from City College of New York, his DDS from Columbia University College of Dental Medicine, and both a PhD and a specialty certificate in endodontics from the University at Buffalo. Tabak's 1981 dissertation was titled Structural and functional studies of monkey salivary mucin.

Career Tabak was the senior associate dean for research and professor of dentistry and biochemistry and biophysics in the University of Rochester Medical Center. He was a National Institutes of Health MERIT Award recipient, Tabak's major research focus has been on the structure, biosynthesis and function of glycoproteins. He continued working in this area, maintaining an active research laboratory within the NIH intramural program, in addition to his administrative duties.

Tabak served as the director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research from 2000 to 2010. He served as acting NIH deputy director in 2009 and was the acting director of the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives. He was succeeded by Schwetz in January 2020.

On December 20, 2021, Tabak succeeded Francis Collins as acting director of the NIH. Tara A. Schwetz will serve in Tabak's previous role as the acting principal deputy director of the NIH.

Tabak retired from the National Institutes of Health on February 11, 2025.

Controversies Tabak, along with Admiral Rachel Levine, was accused of suppression of the National Toxicology Program (NTP) publication of a Systematic Review and Meta-analysis on fluoride exposure and cognition days before its projected May 2022 publication. The NTP findings were subsequently published in August 2024 and January 2025 after the intercession of Judge Edward M. Chen.

Awards and honors Tabak is an elected member the National Academy of Medicine. He is a Fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science.