Program Directors oversee the research activities in one or more parts of the Institute's research funding program, managing a portfolio of grants and contracts and coordinating program efforts in these specifically defined areas of neuroscience research. Please reach out to individual Program Directors for more information about specific opportunities.
Use the quick search below to find your program director based on your research keywords.
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| Program Director/Program Manager | Scientific Area/Division/Office Category | Portfolios |
|---|---|---|
| Churn, Severn (Ben) (Ph.D.) | Channels Synapses and Circuits | Acquired epilepsies (with focus on circuit mechanisms, seizure initiation, seizure detection, seizure prediction); comorbidities and co-occurring conditions: cognitive impairments, ID, post-traumatic epilepsy, stroke-induced seizures, seizures in aging and development; basic research on synaptic transmission and plasticity |
| Leenders, Miriam (Ph.D.) | Channels Synapses and Circuits | Acquired epilepsies (with focus on epilepsies with immunological or infectious etiology); epilepsy prevention strategies, disease modifying interventions, and cell replacement therapies; comorbidities and co-occurring conditions: psychiatric and hormonal; Lafora Disease; temporal lobe epilepsy; basic research on synaptic function; tripartite synapse |
| Umanah, George K. Essien (Ph.D.) | Channels Synapses and Circuits | Molecular structure, function, and regulation of ion channels, transporters, and pumps; channelopathy; mitochondria and mTORopathy mediated epileptic spasms and structural epilepsies; identifying novel genes and biomarkers for the epilepsies |
| Talley, Edmund (Ned) (Ph.D.) | Channels Synapses and Circuits | BRAIN Initiative, basic research in synaptic transmission, optical technologies for recording and manipulating circuits, technologies for tracing and accessing circuits |
| Whittemore, Vicky (Ph.D.) | Channels Synapses and Circuits | Genetic epilepsies; metabolic epilepsy; sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP); clinical epilepsy research; myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS) and fatigue; alternating hemiplegia of children |
| Bosetti, Francesca (Ph.D,, Pharm.D.) | Neural Environment | Ischemic stroke, neuroprotection, biology of stroke repair and recovery, and blood-brain barrier |
| Fountain, Jane (Ph.D.) | Neural Environment | Primary brain tumor |
| Koenig, Jim (Ph.D.) | Neural Environment | Hemorrhagic stroke and aneurysm, pediatric/neurodevelopmental hypoxia-ischemic insults, cerebrovascular biology and pathophysiological mechanisms of stroke and recovery, stroke neuroimaging, and global cerebral ischemia |
| Utz, Ursula (Ph.D.) | Neural Environment | Multiple sclerosis and related disorders (including animal models thereof), studies on CNS demyelination and repair |
| Cheever, Tom (Ph.D.) | Neurodegeneration | Frontotemporal Dementia and associated subtypes; structural, molecular, biochemical, and cellular aspects of Parkinson's disease (PD) as it relates to protein aggregation, mitochondria, and protein processing, as well as genetic, epidemiology and clinical studies |
| Corriveau, Roderick (Ph.D.) | Neurodegeneration | Alzheimer's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease-Related Dementias (AD/ADRD). Vascular contributions to cognitive impairment and dementia (VCID), for example vascular cognitive impairment (VCI), vascular dementia (VaD), cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), and CADASIL. |
| Gubitz, Amelie (Ph.D.) | Neurodegeneration | Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), Spinal and Bulbar Muscular Atrophy, Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia, Friedreich’s Ataxia; apoptosis and cell death mechanisms relevant to neurodegenerative disorders and not due to ischemia per se; neuromuscular junction biology (vertebrate). |
| McGavern, Linda (Ph.D.) | Neurodegeneration | Alzheimer's disease (AD) and Multiple etiology dementias (MED) |
| Miller, Daniel (Ph.D.) | Neurodegeneration | Huntington's Disease; Spinocerebellar Ataxias (SCAs); invertebrate neuromuscular junction synaptic development, structure, and function; NIH Neurobiobank (human brain tissue banking) |
| Sieber, Beth-Anne (Ph.D.) | Neurodegeneration | Parkinson's disease (neuronal loss/repair, circuit dysfunction, neuroinflammation, microbiome, and Udall Centers of Excellence); synucleinopathies (multiple system atrophy (MSA) and preclinical studies of Lewy Body Dementia (LBD)); other movement disorders (dystonia, preclinical and genetic studies of essential tremor) |
| Swanson-Fischer, Christine (Ph.D.) | Neurodegeneration | Parkinson's Disease Biomarkers Program (PDBP); NINDS Biorepository (BioSEND); NINDS Human Cell and Data Repository (NHCDR); Accelerating Medicines Partnership for Parkinson's Disease (AMP-PD); NINDS Biospecimen Resource Access Committees (BRACs) |
| Whitaker, Keith W. (Ph.D.) | Neurodegeneration | Alzheimer's Disease and Alzheimer's Disease-Related Dementias (AD/ADRD); Diverse VCID: White Matter Lesion Etiology of Dementia in Diverse Populations; Determinants of Incident Stroke Cognitive Outcomes and Vascular Effects on Recovery (DISCOVERY) |
| Doss, Argenia (Ph.D.) | Neurogenetics | NIH Common Fund Undiagnosed Diseases Network (UDN) |
| Mamounas, Laura (Ph.D.) | Neurogenetics | Molecular determinants of normal neurodevelopment involving neurotrophic factor signaling mechanisms; transcriptional regulation; mechanisms of RNA transport and local translation in neurons; Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); and related neurodevelopmental disorders (including Tuberous sclerosis complex, Rett Syndrome, CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder, Fragile X Syndrome, Phelan-McDermid Syndrome, Angelman and 15q11-q13 duplication Syndromes, and other rare, genetic forms of ASD) |
| Morris, Jill (Ph.D). | Neurogenetics | General glia biology; oligodendrocyte and Schwann cell development, function and myelination; neural crest and neural tube development; technology development for gene-targeted therapies; various uncommon and rare diseases (including neural tube defects (spina bifida), hydrocephalus and normal pressure hydrocephalus, Tourette syndrome and tics, Neurofibromatosis 1 and 2, Schwannomatosis, Noonan Syndrome, inborn errors of metabolism, lysosomal storage disorders, leukodystrophies, brain iron accumulation disorders (NBIA), copper metabolism disorders, congenital disorders of glycosylation, mitochondrial disorders, and peroxisomal disorders) |
| Nuckolls, Glen (Ph.D.) | Neurogenetics | Muscular dystrophies; spinal muscular atrophy and inherited peripheral neuropathies (e.g. Charcot-Marie-Tooth, giant axonal neuropathy, familial dysautonomia) and inflammatory or autoimmune peripheral neuropathies (e.g. myasthenia gravis, Guillain-Barre Syndrome, chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy); diabetic and chemotherapy induced-peripheral neuropathies |
| Riddle, Robert (Ph.D.) | Neurogenetics | Early pattern formation; neural polarity and migration; axonal guidance; cortical, cerebellar, midbrain, and hindbrain development; chromatin structure and function in the nervous system; epigenetic mechanisms; development and use of animal model systems; Joubert and Dandy-Walker Syndrome; Chiari Malformations; Down Syndrome and diseases related to intellectual developmental disorders; Fragile X Tremor Ataxia (FXTAS) |
| Zhang, Ran (Ph.D.) | Neurogenetics | Ataxia Telangiectasia and basic studies on ATM mutation related DNA damage and DNA repair; NIH Genomic Data Sharing (GDS) policy; NIH Database of Genotypes and Phenotypes (dbGaP); NINDS Human Genetics DNA and Cell Line Repository |
| Awwad, Hibah (Ph.D.) | Repair & Plasticity | Basic and translational that relate to traumatic brain injury (TBI); cognitive/emotional domains affected by TBI; TBI-related dementia including Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) |
| Bambrick, Linda (Ph.D.) | Repair & Plasticity | Responses to spinal cord injury or peripheral nerve injury, including axonal regeneration; interventions to promote recovery and/or restore function |
| Kukke, Sahana N. (Ph.D.) | Repair & Plasticity | Neural interface technologies that record, modulate, or stimulate neural activity; novel biomaterials for repair and neural interface devices; bioengineering applied to the nervous system (including development of hardware, software, and computational techniques) |
| LaVaute, Tim (Ph.D.) | Repair & Plasticity | Neurogenesis and progenitor cell biology in nervous system development and function, application/treatment; tissue engineering; human embryonic stem cells; human fetal tissue; dendritic growth and plasticity; astrocyte biology |
| Scott, Lindsey (Ph.D.) | Repair & Plasticity | Data science programs; data sharing |
| Umoh, Nsini (Ph.D.) | Repair & Plasticity | Translational and clinical studies that relate to traumatic brain injury (TBI); cognitive/emotional domains affected by TBI; TBI-related dementia including Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) |
| Babcock, Debra (M.D., Ph.D.) | Systems and Cognitive Neuroscience | Basic and translational aspects of behavior and cognitive neuroscience; CNS plasticity; Lewy Body Dementia; neuroimaging development (disease-agnostic) |
| Bachman, Julia (Ph.D.) | Systems and Cognitive Neuroscience | HEAL Initiative Early Translational Efforts |
| Chen, Daofen (Ph.D.) | Systems and Cognitive Neuroscience | Motor control and learning; device-based or behavioral interventions for movement disorders, stroke, and cerebral palsy; neural rehabilitation |
| David, Karen (Ph.D.) | Systems and Cognitive Neuroscience | Integrative function of brain circuits, sensorimotor integration, multi-sensory processing; BRAIN Integrated Approaches/Circuits Research Project Grants (R34, R01) and Team exploratory research (U01); BRAIN Initiated Advanced Postdoctoral Career Transition Award to Promote Diversity (K99/R00) |
| Gnadt, Jim (Ph.D.) | Systems and Cognitive Neuroscience | Sensory systems, thalamo-cortical functions, systems neurobiology, computational neuroscience; Collaborative Research in Computational Neuroscience (CRCNS); BRAIN Initiative (integrative systems neuroscience; intracortical human neuroscience (U01); team-research brain circuits programs (U19)) |
| He, Janet (Ph.D.) | Systems and Cognitive Neuroscience | CNS and homeostatic regulation of sleep and circadian rhythms; sleep in neurological disorders; neuroendocrine systems |
| Mohapatra, DP (Ph.D.) | Systems and Cognitive Neuroscience | Peripheral and spinal mechanisms of somatosensation; neurobiology of itch; glia/neuro-immune biology. For investigators whose last name starts with L-Z: basic, translational, and clinical research in pain; NIH HEAL Initiative |
| Oshinsky, Michael (Ph.D.) | Systems and Cognitive Neuroscience | Migraine and other headache disorders. For investigators whose last name starts with A-K: basic, translational, and clinical research in pain; NIH HEAL Initiative |
| Crawford, Devon C. (Ph.D.) | Office of Research Quality | Research quality, experimental rigor, scientific transparency, training in the principles of rigorous research |
| Silberberg, Shai (Ph.D.) | Office of Research Quality | Research quality, experimental rigor, scientific transparency, training in the principles of rigorous research |
| Wong, Ling M. (Ph.D.) | Office of the Associate Director, Division of Neuroscience | Chief of Staff, Division of Neuroscience. Working at NINDS/NIH, available job positions, role and responsibilities, and how to apply. |
| Benson, Richard (M.D., Ph.D) | Office of Global Health and Health Disparities | Vascular neurology, clinical trials, epidemiology, global health, minority health, health disparities and health equity |
| Brown, Jeremy (M.D.) | Division of Clinical Research | SIREN (Strategies to Innovate EmeRgENcy Care Clinical Trials Network); clinical trials in neurologic, heart, lung, blood, and traumatic injuries |
| Conwit, Robin (M.D.) | Division of Clinical Research | Clinical neurophysiology and electromyography |
| Hartman, Adam (M.D.) | Division of Clinical Research | Pediatric epilepsy; clinical epilepsy research |
| Hommer, Rebecca (M.D.) | Division of Clinical Research | EPPIC-Net (Early Phase Pain Investigation Clinical Network); pediatric research |
| Janis, Scott (Ph.D.) | Division of Clinical Research | Clinical trials and epidemiology, Cerebrovascular disease, Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), NINDS Stroke Trials Network and the Neurological Emergencies Treatment Trials Network (NETT) |
| Karp, Barbara (M.D.) | Division of Clinical Research | HEAL Initiative; EPPIC-NET (Early Phase Pain Investigation Clinical Network) |
| Lungu, Codrin (M.D.) | Division of Clinical Research | Parkinson's disease, dystonia, tremor, myoclonus |
| Arudchandran, Ram (Ph.D.) | Division of Translational Research | HEAL Biomarker Program |
| Ashmont, Kari (Ph.D.) | Division of Translational Research | Translational Neural Devices, BRAIN Initiative, HEAL Initiative |
| Boshoff, Chris (Ph.D.) | Division of Translational Research | Cooperative Research to Enable and Advance Translational Enterprises (CREATE) |
| Caporello, Emily (Ph.D.) | Division of Translational Research | Small Business Programs (SBIR/STTR); BRAIN Dissemination Research Resource Program |
| Cywin, Charles (Ph.D.) | Division of Translational Research | Blueprint Therapeutics Network and HEAL Analgesic Therapeutics Development (Small Molecures and Biologics) to Treat Pain |
| Frankowski, Megan (Ph.D.) | Division of Translational Research | Translational Neural Devices, BRAIN Initiative, HEAL Initiative |
| Gross, Brooks A. (Ph.D.) | Division of Translational Research | Translational Neural Devices, BRAIN Initiative, HEAL Initiative |
| Hachiicha, Mohamed (Ph.D.) | Division of Translational Research | Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network |
| Hudak, Eric M. (Ph.D.) | Division of Translational Research | Translational Neural Devices; Neural prostheses, neural engineering, sensory prostheses, brain-computer interfaces (BCI), prosthetic-limb control, peripheral and spinal interfaces, electrochemistry, implantable materials |
| Iyengar, Smriti (Ph.D.) | Division of Translational Research | HEAL Initiative - Preclinical Screening Platform for Pain (PSPP) program |
| Jett, David A. (Ph.D.) | Division of Translational Research | NIH Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats (CounterACT) program, neurotoxicology, translational research, and diversity in the research workforce |
| Klein, Brian (Ph.D.) | Division of Translational Research | Epilepsy Therapy Screening Program (ETSP), Preclinical Pharmacology, Animal Models; Preclinical Neurotherapeutic Development |
| Laeng, Pascal (Ph.D.) | Division of Translational Research | Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network and Functional Target Validation for Alzheimer's Disease-Related Dementias |
| Langhals, Nick (Ph.D.) | Division of Translational Research | Translational Neural Devices; Neural engineering with emphases in neuroprostheses, neuromodulation, brain-computer interface (BCI) devices, prosthetic control, and neural interface technology development |
| Pelleymounter, Mary Ann (Ph.D.) | Division of Translational Research | HEAL Initiative Analgesic Therapeutics Development (Small Molecules and Biologics) to Treat Pain |
| Raessi, Shamsi (Ph.D.) | Division of Translational Research | Blueprint Therapeutics Network |
| Rangarajan, Nagarajan (Ph.D.) | Division of Translational Research | Blueprint Therapeutics Network |
| Raol, Yogi (Ph.D.) | Division of Translational Research | Epilepsy Therapy Screening Program (ETSP) |
| Roof, Rebecca (Ph.D.) | Division of Translational Research | Innovation Grants to Nurture Initial Translational Efforts (IGNITE) |
| Skiadopoulos, Mario (Ph.D.) | Division of Translational Research | Cooperative Research to Enable and Advance Translational Enterprises (CREATE) |
| Spriggs, Shardell (Ph.D.) | Division of Translational Research | NIH Countermeasures Against Chemical Threats Program |
| Taylor-Burds, Carol (Ph.D.) | Division of Translational Research | HEAL Initiative - Biomarkers Program and Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Network |
| Trzcinski, Natalie (Ph.D.) | Division of Translational Research | Small Business Programs (SBIR/STTR) projects in Neural Environment and Neurodegeneration, SBIR/STTR projects developing BRAIN Initiative tools, BRAIN Initiative Research Resource Grants (U24) |
| Wattiez, Anne-Sophie (Ph.D.) | Division of Translational Research | HEAL Initiative - Preclinical Screening Platform for Pain (PSPP) |
| Woller, Sarah (Ph.D.) | Division of Translational Research | HEAL Initiative - Preclinical Screening Platform for Pain (PSPP) |
| Ullrich, Lauren (Ph.D.) | Office of Programs to Enhance Neuroscience Workforce Diversity | Diversity Faculty K01, MOSAIC K99/R00, NINDS ADRD K99/R00, D-SPAN F99/K00, Summer R25s, SCORE (SC1, 2, 3), SURE |
| Torres-Salazar, Delany (Ph.D.) | Office of Training & Workforce Development | |
| Korn, Stephen (Ph.D.) | Office of Training & Workforce Development | Inquiries about K12 institutional training programs as well as the NINDS Research Education Programs for Residents and Fellows in Neurology and Neurosurgery (R25) and the general NINDS R25 program. Inquiries about career development awards (postdoc K01, K02, K08, K23) and The Pathway to Independence Award (K99/R00). Inquiries about the T32 Institutional Training Programs. Inquiries about the R15 AREA Program. Inquiries about the Loan Repayment Program (LRP). General inquiries related to training, career development and research education, and all inquiries related to the training of clinician-scientists. Inquiries about transitioning to independent, non-mentored funding mechanisms. |
| Ramos, Khara (Ph.D.) | Office of the Director | Neuroethics, Bioethics |
| Mendoza-Puccini, Carolina (Ph.D.) | Division of Clinical Research | Strategies to Innovate Emergency Care Clinical Trials Network (SIREN), Common Data Elements (CDE), Data Sharing, Clinical Trials, Human Subjects |
| Jones-London, Michelle D. (Ph.D.) | Office of Programs to Enhance Neuroscience Workforce Diversity | Diversity Training and Workforce Development including Diversity Supplements (BRAIN AND ADRD), Re-Entry Supplements, R25 Education Programs (Neuroscience Scholars Program and NIH Blueprint ENDURE), Career Development Awards (Diversity K01, MOSIAC, and BRAIN Initiative K99/R00), Predoctoral (F31) Diversity NRSA, NIH Blueprint Diversity Specialized Predoctoral to Postdoctoral Advancement in Neuroscience (D-SPAN) Award F99/K00, Diversity Outreach Conferences and Diversity Workgroup Activities |
| Matthews, Marguerite (Ph.D.) | Office of Programs to Enhance Neuroscience Workforce Diversity | R13 Inclusion, NINDS Diversity and Re-Entry/Re-Integration Supplements, Diversity R25, ENDURE R25, and Diversity F31 |