Staff Highlights

Honors and Awards

Dr. Larry A. Seitz, DESPR, received a service award from the Society of Prevention Research at their annual meeting in Quebec City, Canada in May 2004. This award acknowledged Dr. Seitz's service to NIDA and his dedication and commitment to the field of Prevention Science.

Dr. Brandon Harvey, IRP, was appointed a research fellow in the Neural Protection and Regeneration Section, IRP.

Dr. Amy Newman, IRP, was invited by Dr. Michael Gottesman (DDIR-NIH) to participate in the NIH Focus Group on Succession Planning and Scientific Career Development.

Dr. Jonathan Katz, IRP, was appointed Guest Professor, Graduate School of Human Relations, Keio University, Tokyo, Japan, July 23 to August 6, 2004.

Staff Changes

Jag H. Khalsa, Ph.D. has been appointed as the Acting Chief of the Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse Branch within the newly formed Division of Pharmacotherapies and Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse.

Dr. Ivan Montoya was appointed Clinical Director, Medications Research & Medical Consequences of Abuse Grants in the Division of Pharmacotherapies & Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse. He will be overseeing all clinical grants in the DPMC for concurrence on DSM plans, need for a DSMB, and adverse event reporting.

Mary Ellen Michel, Ph.D. joined the CCTN as Deputy Director on June 28, 2004. Dr. Michel received her Ph.D. in neuroscience in the Anatomy Department at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. Her post-doctoral work was at NIH in NHLBI, NIA and NIDDK where she worked on blood brain barrier, cell/cell interactions and cell surface receptors including opiate receptors. In the mid-1980s she worked in industry and managed first a pre-clinical program and then a clinical trials program looking at the opiate antagonist nalmefene in a wide variety of indications, including opiate withdrawal and emergency treatment. Dr. Michel returned to NIH in 1986 and spent time as a review administrator, a program officer in the AIDS office, and on policy assignments in the Officer of the Director of NIH before directing a program in CNS trauma for NINDS. She has also worked in the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research at NICHD and in the Specialized Program for Translational Research in Acute Stroke at NINDS.

David S. Liu, M.D. has joined the CCTN as a Medical Officer. Dr. Liu previously worked for two years as a contractor in the CCTN office. He received his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and an A.B. from Harvard University.

On July 1, 2004, Mary Ann Stephens, Ph.D. resigned from NIDA. Dr. Stephens was a program officer in the Behavioral and Integrative Treatment Branch, DPMCDA.