Leadership
Jane M. Simoni, Ph.D.
Associate Director for Behavioral and Social Sciences Research, NIH
Director, Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR)
Deputy Director, Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR)
Associate Deputy Director, Office of Behavioral and Social Sciences Research (OBSSR)
Areas of expertise: clinical pain research, complementary and alternative medicine, research methodologies, patient reported outcomes, public private partnership development.
Rosalind (Roz) King, Ph.D.
Chief, Scientific Development and Coordination Section, OBSSR
Areas of expertise: social and behavioral research on reproductive health, social stratification, biosocial research, career development and research infrastructure support.
Kathryn (Katie) Morris, M.P.H.
Chief, Policy, Planning and Analyses Section, OBSSR
Areas of expertise: global health, portfolio analysis, policy and evaluation, public health, maternal and child health intervention research, reproductive health research.
Staff
Farheen Akbar, M.P.H.
Health Science Policy Analyst
Areas of expertise: portfolio analysis, policy and evaluation, public health, population health, behavioral and social science research in aging.
Deshirée Belis, M.P.H.
Health Science Policy Analyst
Areas of expertise: global health, implementation research, non-communicable diseases, portfolio analysis, evaluation, public health, health inequities.
Kristin Brethel-Haurwitz, Ph.D.
Social & Behavioral Scientist Administrator
Areas of expertise: empathy, social decision making, cognitive neuroscience.
Alyssa Dolge, M.P.H.
Health Science Policy Analyst
Areas of expertise: budget, contracts, cancer control research, health care delivery research.
Emily Evans, Ph.D.
Health Scientist Administrator
Areas of expertise: research methods, ethics, science policy, and environmental health.
Lauren Fordyce, Ph.D.
Health Scientist Administrator
Areas of expertise: maternal and child health, clinical interventions, social science research.
Jessica Gowda, M.S.
Health Science Policy Analyst
Areas of expertise: reporting and portfolio analysis, policy and evaluation, interested party engagement.
Dana Greene, Ph.D.
Health Scientist Administrator
Areas of expertise: behavioral neuroscience, cognitive neuroscience, circadian biology, radiation biology, animal models.
Katie Hamill, M.P.H.
Health Science Policy Analyst
Areas of expertise: mental health, public health, global health, climate change and health, health disparities research, policy and evaluation.
Stephanie Kimmel
Executive Assistant
Areas of expertise: travel, ITAS, calendar management.
Cathy Maulsby, Ph.D.
Social & Behavioral Scientist Administrator
Areas of expertise: multi-level behavioral intervention development and evaluation, social determinants of health, infectious disease transmission, retention in care, employment and health, and HIV.
Sydney O’Connor, Ph.D.
Health Scientist Administrator
Areas of expertise: theories of health behavior, mHealth and ecological momentary assessment methodologies, environmental and social determinants of health, obesity and cancer prevention, 24hr behavioral patterns, climate change and health.
Adam Politis
Health Scientist Administrator
Areas of expertise: DEIA, disability, rehabilitation, cognition and communication, natural language processing/machine learning/artificial intelligence, complex systems.
Marie Rienzo, M.A.
Communications Director
Areas of expertise: health communications, strategic communications, digital strategy, social media and email marketing, message and content development, and website management.
Lizette M. Rivera- Arnold, MPA, PMP [C]
Project Manager
Areas of Expertise: project management, program management, strategic planning, stakeholder coordination, event coordination, operational efficiency, project/program administration.
Paula Roberts
Program Analyst
Areas of expertise: budget, Co-Funding, Personal Property, procurement.
Michael Spittel, Ph.D.
Health Scientist Administrator
Areas of expertise: innovative methodology and statistics, survey and data systems, and population health.
Erica Spotts, Ph.D.
Health Scientist Administrator
Areas of expertise: behavior genetics, developmental psychology, interpersonal relationships, family systems, depression.
Deborah Young-Hyman, Ph.D., CDE
Health Scientist Administrator
Areas of expertise: bio-psychosocial interventions, psychosocial treatment of diabetes, adherence to prevention/treatment behaviors, clinical trial design in BSSR.
