The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has named Amy Bany Adams, Ph.D., as Deputy Director for Scientific Management and Operations (DDSMO). The DDSMO position was established to accelerate the pace of neuroscience research by strengthening the partnerships between science and administration. In this new role, which she assumed on January 31, Dr. Adams will combine her scientific, organizational, policy, and communication expertise to lead strategic efforts that optimize operational support for the Institute’s scientific priorities.
“Dr. Adams’ deep knowledge of NINDS scientific programs and our research infrastructure, along with her creativity, dedication to mentorship and to a culture of professionalism and inclusivity makes her an ideal candidate for this position,” said Walter Koroshetz, M.D., NINDS director. “I am confident that Dr. Adams will provide visionary leadership in this new role, building bridges between science and operations at NINDS that are critical to advancing the Institute’s mission to seek fundamental knowledge of the brain and nervous system and use that knowledge to reduce the burden of neurological disease for all people.”
Dr. Adams received her B.S. in biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge, MA. She earned a Ph.D. in cell biology from the Yale University School of Medicine in New Haven, CT, where her research focused on the genetic and cellular basis for neurotransmitter control of behavior in C. elegans.
Dr. Adams began her 16-year career at the NIH as an American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellow in the Office of the NIH Director (OD), and she subsequently served as a Special Assistant to the NIH Director where she worked directly with NIH leadership to analyze complex biomedical research policy issues and assist in the development of new science and policy initiatives. Following her time in the NIH OD, Dr. Adams served as the Director of the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research’s Office of Science Policy and Analysis. In 2013, she joined NINDS where she established and ran the Office of Scientific Liaison which coordinated NINDS’s communication with the scientific community.
Most recently, Dr. Adams established and served as the Director of NINDS’s Office of Neuroscience Communications and Engagement (ONCE), where she directed science communication activities for the Institute, providing a seamless flow of information on research advances to numerous stakeholders including scientific communities, policy-makers, patients, and the public. In this role, she also provided coordination for several trans-agency neuroscience initiatives, including overseeing management of the NIH’s Brain Research Through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies® (BRAIN) Initiative governance committees. She played a pivotal role in launching the BRAIN Initiative Alliance, which brings together the federal and non-federal participants of the US BRAIN Initiative.
Dr. Adams has received numerous awards including the 2019 NINDS Merit Award for Mentoring and NIH Director’s Awards recognizing the teams involved in the NIH Enhancing Peer Review initiative and establishing the NIH K99/R00 Pathway to Independence award.