Michele Pearson is the Chief of Staff in the Office of the BRAIN Director (OBD). Michele began her NIH career as an Intramural Research Training Award Recipient at the National Institute of Aging, in the Laboratory of Neurosciences. Michele worked at the National Institute of Mental Health, on the extramural side for 10 years as a Program Specialist in the Division of Neuroscience and Basic Behavioral Science and in the Division of Translational Research, where she was a member of the NIMH Research Training and Career Development Team and the Director of the NIMH Loan Repayment Program. As OBD Chief of Staff, Michele provides organizational, technical, scientific, and administrative support in the planning, coordination and communication of the NIH BRAIN® Initiative.