Advancing Health Communication Science and Practice Working Group Members

This is the trans-NIH Working Group that oversees the development, implementation, communication, and assessment of the Common Fund program.

Co-Chairs:

Co-Chairs are Institute or Center (IC) directors or IC senior staff who lead the Working Group and have the authority to approve major activities and funding actions.

  • Joshua Gordon, M.D., Ph.D.
    Director
    National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
     
  • Christine Hunter, Ph.D., A.B.P.P.
    Acting Director
    Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research (OBSSR)
     
  • William Klein, Ph.D.
    Associate Director
    Behavioral Research Program
    National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Leadership Team & Points of Contact:

Working Group Coordinators, Project Team Leaders, and the Program Leader serve as the day to day leadership for the program and the Working Group. Also included here are points of contact for areas of program management.

Working Group Coordinators: 

  • Kristin Brethel-Haurwitz, Ph.D.
    Advancing Health Communication Science and Practice Coordinator
    Social & Behavioral Scientist Administrator
    Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR)
     
  • Collene Lawhorn, Ph.D.
    Advancing Health Communication Science and Practice Coordinator
    Program Officer, Division of AIDS Research
    National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
     
  • Wen-Ying Sylvia Chou, Ph.D., M.P.H.
    Advancing Health Communication Science and Practice Coordinator
    Program Director, Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch (HCIRB) of the Behavioral Research Program (BRP)
    National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Common Fund Program Leader:

  • Nadra Tyus, Dr.P.H., M.P.H.
    Program Leader
    Office of Strategic Coordination (OSC)
    Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
    Office of the Director (OD) National Institutes of Health (NIH)
     
  • Margaret Ochocinska, Ph.D.
    Program Leader
    Office of Strategic Coordination (OSC)
    Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
    Office of the Director (OD) National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Points of Contact:

  • Tony Casco
    Business Operations and Analysis Contact
    Program Analyst 
    Office of Strategic Coordination
    Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
    Office of the Director, National Institutes of Health
     
  • Katelynn Milora, Ph.D.
    Strategic Planning, Evaluation, and Communications (SPEC) Contact
    Health Specialist
    Office of Strategic Coordination (OSC)
    Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
    Office of the Director (OD)
    National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Members:

The Working Group Members are staff from multiple NIH Institutes and Centers who provide input from their Institute or Center’s perspective.
 

  • Frances Bevington
    Communications Director and Chief
    Office of Communications and Public Liaison (OCPL)
    National Institutes of Nursing Research (NINR)
     
  • Sekai Chideya-Chihota, M.D., M.P.H.
    Program Director
    Clinical Research in Complementary and Integrative Health Branch
    National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
     
  • Michelle Doose, Ph.D., M.P.H.
    Social and Behavioral Sciences Administrator (Program Official)
    Division of Clinical and Health Services Research
    National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
     
  • William (Bill) Elwood, Ph.D.
    Health Scientist Administrator
    Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR)
     
  • Alissa Gallagher, M.P.H.
    Supervisory Health Science Communicator
    Office of Neuroscience Communications & Engagement
    National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
     
  • Anna Gaysynsky, M.P.H.
    Contractor, ICF International
    Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch (HCIRB)
    Behavioral Research Program (BRP)
    National Cancer Institute (NCI)
     
  • Stephanie George, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.A.
    Program Director
    Division of Extramural Research 
    National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
     
  • Beth Jaworski, Ph.D.
    Social & Behavioral Sciences Administrator
    Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR)
     
  • Lenora Johnson, Dr.Ph., M.P.H.
    Director
    Science Policy, Engagement, Health Education, and Public Facing Communications Initiatives
    National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
     
  • Nancy Jones, Ph.D., M.A.
    Scientific Program Officer
    Division of Community Health and Population Science
    National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
     
  • Alla Keselman, Ph.D.
    Acting Chief
    Office of Engagement and Training (OET)
    National Library of Medicine (NLM)
     
  • Christopher Lynch, Ph.D.
    Acting Director
    Office off Nutrition Research (ONR)
     
  • Lindsey Ann Martin, Ph.D.
    Health Scientist Administrator 
    Population Health Branch
    National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
     
  • Cindy McConnell, Ph.D.
    Director
    Office of Communications and Public Liaison
    Office of Communications & Public Liaison (OCPL)
    National Institute on Aging (NIA)
     
  • Elizabeth Necka, Ph.D.
    Program Director
    Individual and Behavioral Processes Branch of the Division of Behavioral and Social Research (DBSR)
    National Institute on Aging (NIA)
     
  • Steven Pittenger, Ph.D.
    Program Officer
    Office of Drug Development Partnership Programs
    National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
     
  • Ronna Popkin, Ph.D.
    Program Official
    Population Dynamics Branch
    Eunic Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
     
  • Anne Rancourt, Ph.D.
    Communications Director, Branch Chief
    Office of Science Policy and Communications
    National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
     
  • Dianne Rausch, Ph.D.
    Director
    Office on AIDS (OA)
    National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
     
  • Elice Rice, Ph.D.
    Program Officer
    Behavioral & Sciences Research Program
    National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
     
  • Melissa Riddle, Ph.D.
    Director, Branch Chief
    Behavioral & Social Sciences Research Program
    National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
     
  • Alexa Romberg, Ph.D.
    Social Behavioral Scientist Administrator
    Prevention Research Branch
    National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
     
  • Michael Stirratt, Ph.D.
    Program Officer
    HIV Treatment & Translational Science Branch
    National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
     
  • Luke Stoeckel, Ph.D.
    Program Director
    Mechanistic and Translational Decision Science
    Division of Behavioral and Social Research (DBSR)
    National Institutes on Aging (NIA)
     
  • Rachel Sturke, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.I.A
    Division Deputy Director, Center for Global Health Studies
    Division of International Science Policy, Planning and Evaluation (DISPPE)
    Fogerty International Center (FIC)
     
  • Robin Vanderpool, Dr.P.H.
    Branch Chief
    Health Communication and Informatics Research Branch (HCIRB)
    Behavioral Resesarch Program (BRP)
    Division of Cancer Control & Population Sciences
    National Cancer Institute (NCI)
     
  • Nick Weber, M.B.A.
    Cloud Services Program Manager
    Center for Information Technology (CIT)
     
  • Wendy Weber, N.D., P.h.D., M.P.H.
    Branch Chief, Clinical Research in Complementary and Integrative Health Branch
    Division of Extramural Research
    National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
     
  • Cheri Wiggs, Ph.D.
    Program Director
    Perception and Psychophysics, Low Vision and Blindness Rehabilitiona, Division of Extramural Research
    National Eye Institute (NEI)
     
  • Xinzhi Zhang, M.D., Ph.D.
    Branch Chief
    Health Inequities & Global Health Branch
    National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
     
  • Sheryl Zwerski, D.N.P.
    Scientific Program Director
    Prevention Sciences Program (PSP)
    National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

This page last reviewed on March 7, 2023