Ana Olariu, Ph.D.

Job Title
Scientific Review Officer
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Division
Division of Extramural Activities
Branch
Scientific Review Branch
Areas of Interest

Clinical Team - CT Readiness

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Dr. Ana Olariu is a Scientific Review Officer (SRO) leading the NINDS Neurological Sciences and Disorders (NSD-C) study section that reviews the Translational Neural Devices, BRAIN Initiative and NIH Blueprint MedTech programs. These programs support the optimization, translational activities and small clinical studies involving therapeutic and diagnostic devices for disorders that affect the central nervous system, neuromuscular systems, and diagnostic devices for disorders with Blueprint Institute missions.

In addition, Dr. Olariu leads Special Emphasis Panels (SEPs) including interdisciplinary team science to uncover the mechanisms of pain relief by medical devices (RM1) under the HEAL Initiative and, pragmatic clinical trials. Prior to this, she led the Other Transaction Authority (OTA) reviews of Early-Phase Pain Investigation Clinical Network (EPPIC-Net) as part of the HEAL Initiative. Prior to joining the NINDS, she worked in private industry focused on clinical development of drugs and biologics with particular interest in researching on therapeutics targeted to memory improvement in neurodegenerative diseases.

Dr. Olariu received her Ph.D. from Alexandru Ioan Cuza University (Romania) and held an academic position as Lecturer at the Faculty of Biology in Iasi. She conducted postdoctoral training at Nagoya University (Japan) and at the NIH and, researched on a transplant strategy using neural stem cells for Canavan disease at the Cell and Gene Therapy Center (UMDNJ). At the NIMH she worked with Dr. Heather Cameron on the role of adult neurogenesis in learning and memory.

Dr. Olariu’s scientific expertise encompasses clinical development of therapeutics, learning and memory, adult neurogenesis, neural stem cells, neuroimmunology, rare diseases, neurodegenerative diseases (Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease and Huntington’s disease).