Staff Directory

Leadership

 

Jane M. Simoni, Ph.D.

Jane M. Simoni, Ph.D.
Associate Director for Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, NIH
Director, Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR)

Janine M. Simmons headshot
Janine M. Simmons, M.D., Ph.D.
Deputy Director, Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR)
Wendy B. Smith, MA, Ph. D., BCB
Associate Deputy Director, Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR)
Areas of expertise: clinical pain research, complementary and alternative medicine, research methodologies, patient reported outcomes, public private partnership development.
Rosalind (Roz) King, Ph.D.

Rosalind (Roz) King, Ph.D.
Chief, Scientific Development and Coordination Section, OBSSR
Areas of expertise: social and behavioral research on reproductive health, social stratification, biosocial research, career development and research infrastructure support.

Kathryn Morris

Kathryn (Katie) Morris, M.P.H.
Chief, Policy, Planning and Analyses Section, OBSSR
Areas of expertise: global health, portfolio analysis, policy and evaluation, public health, maternal and child health intervention research, reproductive health research.

Staff

Farheen Akbar

Farheen Akbar, M.P.H.
Health Science Policy Analyst
Areas of expertise: portfolio analysis, policy and evaluation, public health, population health, behavioral and social science research in aging.

Deshirée Belis

Deshirée Belis, M.P.H.
Health Science Policy Analyst
Areas of expertise: global health, implementation research, non-communicable diseases, portfolio analysis, evaluation, public health, health inequities.

Kristin Brethel-Haurwitz, Ph.D.

Kristin Brethel-Haurwitz, Ph.D.
Social & Behavioral Scientist Administrator
Areas of expertise: empathy, social decision making, cognitive neuroscience.

Alyssa Dolge

Alyssa Dolge, M.P.H.
Health Science Policy Analyst
Areas of expertise: budget, contracts, cancer control research, health care delivery research.

Emily Evans, Ph.D.

Emily Evans, Ph.D.
Health Scientist Administrator
Areas of expertise: research methods, ethics, science policy, and environmental health.

Lauren Fordyce, Ph.D.

Lauren Fordyce, Ph.D.
Health Scientist Administrator
Areas of expertise: maternal and child health, clinical interventions, social science research.

Jessica Gowda, M.S.

Jessica Gowda, M.S.
Health Science Policy Analyst
Areas of expertise: reporting and portfolio analysis, policy and evaluation, interested party engagement.

Dana Greene

Dana Greene, Ph.D.
Health Scientist Administrator
Areas of expertise: behavioral neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, circadian biology, radiation biology, animal models.

Katie Hamill

Katie Hamill, M.P.H.
Health Science Policy Analyst
Areas of expertise: mental health, public health, global health, climate change and health, health disparities research, policy and evaluation.

Stephanie Kimmel

Stephanie Kimmel
Executive Assistant
Areas of expertise: travel, ITAS, calendar management.

Cathy Maulsby, Ph.D.

Cathy Maulsby, Ph.D.
Social & Behavioral Scientist Administrator
Areas of expertise: multi-level behavioral intervention development and evaluation, social determinants of health, infectious disease transmission, retention in care, employment and health, and HIV.

Sydney O’Connor, Ph.D.

Sydney O’Connor, Ph.D.
Health Scientist Administrator
Areas of expertise: theories of health behavior, mHealth and ecological momentary assessment methodologies, environmental and social determinants of health, obesity and cancer prevention, 24hr behavioral patterns, climate change and health.

Adam Politis

Adam Politis
Health Scientist Administrator
Areas of expertise: DEIA, disability, rehabilitation, cognition and communication, natural language processing/machine learning/artificial intelligence, complex systems.

Marie Rienzo, M.A.

Marie Rienzo, M.A.
Communications Director
Areas of expertise: health communications, strategic communications, digital strategy, social media and email marketing, message and content development, and website management.

Lizette M. Rivera- Arnold

Lizette M. Rivera- Arnold, MPA, PMP [C]
Project Manager
Areas of Expertise: project management, program management, strategic planning, stakeholder coordination, event coordination, operational efficiency, project/program administration.

Paula Roberts

Paula Roberts
Program Analyst
Areas of expertise: budget, Co-Funding, Personal Property, procurement.

Mike Spittel

Michael Spittel, Ph.D.
Health Scientist Administrator
Areas of expertise: innovative methodology and statistics, survey and data systems, and population health.

Erica Spotts

Erica Spotts, Ph.D.
Health Scientist Administrator
Areas of expertise: behavior genetics, developmental psychology, interpersonal relationships, family systems, depression.

Deborah Young-Hyman

Deborah Young-Hyman, Ph.D., CDE
Health Scientist Administrator
Areas of expertise: bio-psychosocial interventions, psychosocial treatment of diabetes, adherence to prevention/treatment behaviors, clinical trial design in BSSR.