Joellen Harper Austin

Ms. Joellen Harper Austin was named Associate Director for Management and Executive Officer for NINDS effective February 4, 2007. Prior to that, she served as Acting Executive Officer and Deputy Executive Officer for the Institute.

Ms. Harper was the Acting Director of the Office of Strategic Management Planning in the Office of the Director, NIH, from January through June 2004. Ms. Harper joined NINDS in January 2000 as the Chief Grants Management Officer, a position she held until August 2002. Her previous positions at NIH include Chief Grants Management Officer for the National Center for Research Resources and Assistant Grants Policy Officer in the Office of Extramural Research, NIH. She joined NIH in July 1989 as a Presidential Management Intern.

Ms. Harper received a Master of Science degree in Management through the Sloan Fellows Program at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business in 2003. In addition, she holds a Master of Public Affairs degree from the Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Government from Skidmore College in Saratoga Springs, New York. She is a 2006 graduate of the Department of Health and Human Services Senior Executive Service Candidate Development Program, and was appointed to the Senior Executive Service in February 2007.