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 (OD/NIH)
  • Michael H. Sayre, Ph.D.
    Division of Scientific Programs
    National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)

  • David R. Wilson, Ph.D.
    Director
    Tribal Health Research Office
    Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
    Office of the Director (OD/NIH)

  • 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: 

  • Alison Brown, MS, Ph.D., RDN 
    Program Director
    Clinical Applications and Prevention Branch
    National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
     
  • 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 Boyce, 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)

Points of Contact:

  • Ellie Murcia, M.Ed.
    Business Operations and Analysis Contact
    Program Specialist
    Office of Strategic Coordination
    Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
    Office of the Director
    National Institutes of Health (NIH)
     
  • Danyelle Winchester, Ph.D.
    Strategic Planning, Evaluation, and Communications Contact
    Health Specialist
    Office of Strategic Coordination
    Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
    Office of the Director
    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.

  • Jennifer Alvidrez, Ph.D.
    Program Director
    Community Health and Population Science Research
    National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
     
  • Judith A. Arroyo, Ph.D.
    Special Assistant to the Director
    National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
     
  • Larissa Avilés-Santa, M.D., M.P.H.
    Director
    Clinical and Health Services Research
    Division of Scientific Programs
    National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
     
  • Crystal L. Barksdale, Ph.D., M.P.H.
    Program Chief
    Minority Mental Health Research Program
    Office for Disparities Research and Workforce Diversity
    National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
     
  • 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)
     
  • Shalanda A. Bynum, Ph.D., MPH
    Program Director 
    Wellness, Technology, and Training Branch 
    Division of Extramural Science Programs 
    National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR)
     
  • 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)
     
  • 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)
     
  • Patricia Jones, DrPH, MPH, MS
    Director
    Office of Special Populations
    National Institute on Aging (NIA)
     
  • Edmund (Ted) Keane, MSPH
    Health Science Policy Analyst
    Tribal Health Research Office
    Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives
    Office of the Director (OD/NIH)
     
  • 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)
     
  • George A. Mensah, M.D., FACC
    Senior Advisor
    Immediate Office of the Director
    National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
     
  • 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)
     
  • Kristy Nicks, Ph.D.
    Program Director 
    Bone Biology, Metabolic Bone Disorders, and Osteoporosis Program
    National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)
     
  • Lisbeth Nielsen, Ph.D.
    Division Director
    Division of Behavioral and Social Research 
    National Institute on Aging (NIA)
     
  • Margaret Ochocinska, Ph.D. (Alternate)
    Program Director
    Translational Blood Science and Resources Branch
    Division of Blood Diseases and Resources
    National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)
     
  • 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)
     
  • Fabienne Santel, M.D., M.P.H.
    Scientific Program Officer
    Clinical and Health Services Research
    National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD)
     
  • Melissa M. Smarr, Ph.D. (Alternate)
    Health Scientist Administrator
    Population Health Branch
    National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)
     
  • Michael A. Steinmetz, Ph.D.
    Director
    Division of Extramural Science Programs
    National Eye Institute (NEI)
     
  • Pamela L. Thornton, Ph.D.
    Program Director
    Division of Diabetes, Endocrinology, and Metabolic Diseases
    National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
     
  • 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)
     
  • 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 July 28, 2021