Staff Highlights

Staff Honors and Awards

Dr. Christine Colvis, DBNBR, was awarded the NIH Directors award as part of the Molecular Libraries Roadmap project "for extraordinary leadership of the molecular libraries and imaging roadmap to enable research on new pathways to discovery in health and disease."

Dr. Colvis has been selected to be featured in an upcoming publication by the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH). The featured women are to chosen based on achievements in their field, leadership positions, ability to combine family and career, and/or efforts as a mentor.

Dr. David Shurtleff, Director, DBNBR, was awarded the NIH Director's Award "for outstanding contributions to the development and advancement of diverse programs in basic neuroscience and behavioral research."

Dr. David Shurtleff was awarded NIH Director's Award "for extraordinary scientific leadership of the molecular libraries and imaging roadmap to enable research on new pathways to discovery in health and disease."

Dr. David Shurtleff was elected to Fellow American Psychological Association through APA Division 28.

Drs. Karen Skinner, Jonathan Pollock and David Shurtleff, all of DBNBR, as part of the Neuroscience Information Framework team, were recognized with the NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research Directors award "For significant administrative contributions and oversight to redirect the NIF project for successful Phase II implementation.

Dr. Joni Rutter, DBNBR, has been selected to be featured in an upcoming publication by the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH). The featured women are to chosen based on achievements in their field, leadership positions, ability to combine family and career, and/or efforts as a mentor.

Dr. Cora Lee Wetherington, DBNBR, has been selected to be featured in an upcoming publication by the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health (ORWH). The featured women are to chosen based on achievements in their field, leadership positions, ability to combine family and career, and/or efforts as a mentor.

Dr. Da-Yu Wu, DBNBR, as part of the Neurodevelopment Workshop Project Team, was awarded NIH Blueprint for Neuroscience Research Directors award "for their expertise, dedication in planning the NIH Neuroscience Blueprint workshop on Neurodevelopment."

Dr. Laurence Stanford, DCNBR, received the Blueprint for Neuroscience Research Directors Award as a member of the Neurodevelopment Project Team in July, 2007.

Dr. Peter Hartsock, DESPR, was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal at the NIH Director's Ceremony, June 13, 2007. Dr. Hartsock's award was "For meritorious accomplishments in the field of advanced AIDS modeling with major and rapid impact upon U.S. Public Health Policy."

Dr. Peter Hartsock was awarded the first-ever Presidential Platinum Medal for Fitness by the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Assistant Secretary for Health Dr. John O. Agwunobi, Washington, D.C. May 3, 2007. The President's program on fitness was initiated in 1956 by President Dwight Eisenhower and has been supported by every president since. For the past 50 years, the Gold Medal was the highest award possible through the program.

In June 2007, Drs. Betty Tai, Mary Ellen Michel and Paul Wakim received the NIH Director's Award "for outstanding contributions leading to the successful launch of the Clinical and Translational Science Award Program". Dr. Tai is co-chair of the CTSA Community Engagement subcommittee; Dr. Michel is co-chair of the CTSA Clinical Research Ethics subcommittee; and Dr. Wakim is co-chair of the CTSA Biostatistics, Epidemiology and Research Design subcommittee. Carmen Rosa serves on the CTSA Public-Private Partnerships subcommittee.

Dr. Jag Khalsa, DPMCDA, received the prestigious NIH Director's Award for developing the domestic and international program of medical consequences of drug abuse and infections at NIDA. This was his second award from the NIH Director in two years.

Dr. Kenner Rice, Chief of the Chemical Biology Research Branch, IRP, was seleted to receive the 2007 Smissman Award presented by the American Chemical Society (ACS). The Bristol-Myers Squibb Smissman Award, established by the American Chemical Society in honor of Professor Edward E. Smissman of the University of Kansas, is given to a living scientist whose research, teaching or service has had a substantial impact on the intellectual and theoretical development of the field of medicinal chemistry. Dr. Rice, whose research has led to the development of compounds or medications that have the potential to treat or prevent drug addiction, was recognized at the ACS national meeting in August.

Staff Changes

Dr. Jose Ruiz has joined the Office of Extramural Affairs as a Scientific Review Administrator. Dr. Ruiz is an experienced NIH science policy analyst with an academic background that includes a doctorate in genetics and exploration of biochemical research questions of ligand-receptor interactions pertinent to Alzheimer's disease, atherosclerosis, and coagulation. Before joining NIDA, Dr. Ruiz was a science policy analyst for the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), where he used his knowledge of the NINR research portfolio in addressing a wide-range of requests and reporting requirements as well as in creating communication products on behalf of the Institute and facilitating strategic planning processes. Prior to joining NINR, Dr. Ruiz served as a science policy analyst for the NIH Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) Office within the NIH Office of the Director. Dr. Ruiz managed the GPRA planning and reporting requirements across a number of NIH Institutes. Jose holds a Bachelor's degree in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Boston University, and a Ph.D. in Genetics from The George Washington University.

Dr. Nadine Rogers has joined the Office of Extramural Affairs as a Scientific Review Administrator. Nadine comes to NIDA from the Office of the U.S. Global AIDS Coordinator (OGAC), the office with responsibility for managing the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR). As part of the Strategic Information Unit in OGAC, Nadine was the administrator of the scientific steering committee that advised the office. She also served as the liaison to the Institute of Medicine and led the team responsible for the annual meeting of HIV/AIDS program implementers. Prior to joining OGAC, she consulted with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Health Resources Services Administration in the creation and implementation of standardized guidelines for the development of HIV/AIDS epidemiologic profiles for prevention and care. She has helped NGOs to build their capacity in program design and evaluation, and her work has included the design and development of education materials, testing of technology-based HIV prevention messages, and promotion of the use of culture to influence social norms around HIV/AIDS. Nadine was a National Research Service Award Pre-Doctoral Fellow funded by the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and was the recipient of the 2002 Johns Hopkins University, Charles D. Flagle Award for research examining the use of computer technology in public health. Nadine, who is a native of Trinidad and Tobago and a graduate of the University of the West Indies at Cave Hill, holds a Master of Science in Communications from The Clarion University of Pennsylvania and a doctorate in Health Policy & Management with a focus in the Social and Behavioral Sciences from The Johns Hopkins University, Bloomberg School of Public Health.

Dr. Bryan Fantie joined the Division of Clinical Neuroscience and Behavioral Research in the Behavioral and Brain Development Branch in July 2007. Dr. Fantie came to NIDA from American University, where he was a faculty member in the Department of Psychology since 1989, was Director of the Human Neuropsychology Laboratory, and also was Founding Director of the Behavioral Neuroscience Doctoral Program. During his tenure at American University, Dr. Fantie also was involved in conducting research in NIH intramural programs at NIMH, NCI, and NINDS. His published work includes chapters and articles on brain development, assessment of attention across the lifespan, attentional capacities and deficits, affective processes, and memory.

Dr. Melissa Riddle, formerly Deputy Chief of the Behavioral and Integrative Treatment Branch, DCNBR, left NIDA for a position at the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. As a Branch Chief at NIDCR, she will be responsible for administering a behavioral and social science research program.