The funding of neuroscience research
Dr. David Owens is the Acting Director of the Division of Extramural Activities (DEA) at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). Prior to being appointed Acting Director, David served as Deputy Director, a position he had served in since 2014. He joined NINDS in 2004 as a Program Director in the Repair and Plasticity Cluster where he oversaw a portfolio of grants in stem and progenitor cell biology in the development, function, and repair of the nervous system. He earned a Ph.D. in Neurobiology from Columbia University where he studied cellular signaling during neocortical development and conducted postdoctoral research in developmental neurobiology at NINDS. He has been involved in a variety of NINDS and Trans-NIH activities covering a diverse range of topics including, regenerative medicine, regulatory science via FDA-NIH interactions, piloting novel funding mechanisms, and promoting basic neuroscience research.