Transformative Health Disparities Research Working Group Members

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.

  • Janine Austin Clayton, M.D., FARVO 
    Associate Director for Research on Women’s Health 
    Director 
    Office of Research on Women’s Health 
    Office of the Director
    National Intitutes of Health (NIH)
     
  • Joshua A. Gordon, M.D., Ph.D.
    Director
    National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
  • Eliseo J. Pérez-Stable, M.D.
    Director
    National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

  • Shannon N. Zenk, Ph.D., M.P.H., RN, FAAN
    Director
    National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)

Leadership Team & Points of Contact:

Coordinators, Program Leaders, and Project Team Leaders 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: 

  • Crystal L. Barksdale, Ph.D., M.P.H.
    Program Chief
    Minority Mental Health Research Program
    Office for Disparities Research and Workforce Diversity
    National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
     
  • Alison Brown, MS, Ph.D., RDN 
    Program Director
    Clinical Applications and Prevention Branch
    National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
     
  • Shalanda A. Bynum, Ph.D., M.P.H.
    Program Director
    Wellness, Technology, and Training Branch 
    Division of Extramural Science Programs 
    National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
     
  • Nathan Stinson Jr., Ph.D., M.D., M.P.H.
    Director
    Division of Scientific Programs
    National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

Common Fund Leader:

  • Cheryl Anne Boyce, Ph.D.
    Assistant Director for Re-engineering the Research Enterprise
    Office of Strategic Coordination
    Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
    Office of the Director
    National Institutes of Health (NIH)
     
  • Yvonne Owens Ferguson, Ph.D., M.P.H.
    Program Leader
    Office of Strategic Coordination
    Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
    Office of the Director
    National Institutes of Health (NIH)
     
  • Michelle R.J. Hamlet, Ph.D.
    Program Leader
    Office of Strategic Coordination
    Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
    Office of the Director
    National Institutes of Health (NIH)
     
  • Margaret Ochocinska, Ph.D.
    Program Leader
    Office of Strategic Coordination
    Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
    Office of the Director
    National Institutes of Health (NIH)
     
  • Nadra Tyus, Dr.P.H., M.P.H.
    Program Leader
    Office of Strategic Coordination
    Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
    Office of the Director
    National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Points of Contact:

  • Sara Amolegbe, M.S.P.H.
    Strategic Planning, Evaluation, and Communications Contact
    Health Science Policy Analyst
    Office of Strategic Coordination
    Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
    Office of the Director
    National Institutes of Health (NIH)
     
  • Jason Shockey, Ph.D.
    Business Operations and Analysis Contact
    Management/Program Analyst
    Office of Strategic Coordination
    Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
    Office of the Director
    National Institutes of Health (NIH) 

Project Scientists:

  • Alison Brown, Ph.D., M.S., R.D.N.
    National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
     
  • Shalanda A. Bynum, Ph.D., M.P.H.
    National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
     
  • Juanita J. Chinn, Ph.D.
    Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
     
  • Judith A. Cooper, Ph.D.
    National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
     
  • Yvonne Owens Ferguson, Ph.D., M.P.H.
    Office of Strategic Coordination
    Office of the Director 
     
  • Minnjuan W. Flournoy Floyd, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.B.A.
    National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
     
  • Michelle Heacock, Ph.D.
    National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
     
  • Kelly King, Au.D., Ph.D.
    National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
     
  • Rosalind King, Ph.D.
    Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
     
  • Lindsey Ann Martin, Ph.D.
    National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
     
  • Dawn Morales, Ph.D.
    National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
     
  • Mauricio Rangel-Gomez, Ph.D.
    National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
     
  • Nathan Stinson, Jr., Ph.D., M.D., M.P.H.
    National Institute of Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
     
  • Nadra Tyus, Dr.P.H., M.P.H.
    Office of Strategic Coordination
    Office of the Director

Members:

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

  • Jennifer Alvidrez, Ph.D.
    Senior Advisor for Health Disparities
    Program Director, ADVANCE
    Office of Disease Prevention
    Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
    Office of the Director (OD/NIH)
     
  • Jessica Bellinger, Ph.D.
    Scientific Review Officer
    Center for Scientific Review (CSR)
     
  • Richard T. Benson, M.D., Ph.D.
    Director
    Office of Global Health and Health Disparities
    Division of Clinical Research
    National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
     
  • Dara R. Blachman-Demner, Ph.D.
    Health Scientist Administrator
    Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research
    Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
    Office of the Director (OD/NIH)
     
  • Miranda Broadney, M.D, M.P.H. (Principal)
    Program Director
    Division of Kidney, Urologic and Hematologic Diseases
    National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
     
  • Juanita J. Chinn, Ph.D.
    Program Director
    Population Dynamics Branch
    Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)
     
  • Sara Dodson Ph.D.
    Senior Health Science Policy Analyst
    Office of Science Policy & Planning
    National Institute on Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
     
  • Regine Douthard, M.D.
    Senior Program Officer
    Office of Research on Women’s Health
    Office of the Director (OD/NIH)
     
  • 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)
     
  • Rebecca Goodwin, J.D.
    Policy Analyst and Open Science Specialist
    Office of Strategic Initiatives
    National Library of Medicine (NLM)
     
  • Christopher Gordon, Ph.D.
    Branch Chief
    Division of AIDS Research
    National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
     
  • Raquel Greer,  M.D., M.H.S. (Alternate)
    Program Director
    Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases
    National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
     
  • Hiroko Iida, D.D.S., M.P.H.
    Program Director
    Oral Health Disparities and Inequities
    National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)
     
  • Patricia Jones, Dr.P.H, M.P.H, M.S
    Director
    Office of Special Populations
    National Institute on Aging (NIA)
     
  • Collene Lawhorn, Ph.D.
    Program Officer
    HIV Communication, Dissemination and Engagement Research Program
    National NeuroAIDS Tissue Consortium
    Division of AIDS Research
    National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
     
  • Jimmy Le, Sc.D., M.A.
    Program Director for Collaborative Clinical Research
    National Eye Institute (NEI)
     
  • Jacqueline Lloyd, Ph.D., M.S.W.
    Senior Advisor for Disease Prevention
    Office of Disease Prevention
    Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
    Office of the Director (OD/NIH)
     
  • Ebony B. Madden, Ph.D.
    Program Director
    Division of Genomic Medicine
    National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)
     
  • David M. Murray, Ph.D.
    Associate Director
    Office of Disease Prevention
    Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
    Office of the Director (OD/NIH)
     
  • Joan D. Nagel, M.D., M.P.H.
    Medical Officer 
    Division of Clinical Innovation
    National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)
     
  • Lisbeth Nielsen, Ph.D.
    Division Director
    Division of Behavioral and Social Research 
    National Institute on Aging (NIA)
     
  • April Oh, Ph.D., M.P.H.
    Senior Advisor for Implementation Science and Health Equity
    Division of Cancer Control and Population Studies
    National Cancer Institute (NCI)
     
  • Jonathan Pollock, Ph.D.
    Branch Chief
    Division of Neuroscience and Behavior
    National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)
     
  • Karen L. Parker, Ph.D., M.S.W.
    Director 
    Sexual & Gender Minority Research Office
    Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
    Office of the Director (OD/NIH) 
     
  • Asif Rizwan, Ph.D.
    Program Officer
    Molecular Cellular and Systems Blood Science
    National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
     
  • Deidra Roach, M.D.  
    Program Director
    Division of Treatment and Recovery         
    National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)
     
  • Cendrine Robinson, Ph.D., M.P.H.
    Chief Diversity Officer
    National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)
     
  • Janeth Sanchez, Ph.D., M.P.H.
    Program Director for Health Equity
    Division of Medical and Scientific Research
    All of Us Research Program
    Office of the Director (OD/NIH)
     
  • Melissa M. Smarr, Ph.D. (Alternate)
    Health Scientist Administrator
    Population Health Branch
    National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
     
  • Frederick (Fred) L. Tyson, Ph.D.
    Program Director
    Genes, Environment, and Health Branch
    Division of Extramural Research and Training
    National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) 
     
  • Tiffany Wallace, Ph.D.
    Program Director
    Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities
    National Cancer Institute (NCI)
     
  • Miya Whitaker, Psy.D., M.A.
    Health Scientist Administrator 
    Office of Research on Women's Health
    Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
    Office of the Director (OD/NIH)
     
  • Xinzhi Zhang, M.D., Ph.D.
    Program Officer
    Health Inequities and Global Health
    National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
     
  • Julia Zur, Ph.D.
    Health Scientist Administrator
    Division of Epidemiology, Services, and Prevention Research
    National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

This page last reviewed on March 13, 2023