Staff Highlights

Staff Honors and Awards

On June 19, 2002, the following NIDA staff members received awards at the NIH Director's Award ceremony:

Dr. Eric Moolchan, IRP, received the NIH Director's Award of Merit "in recognition of leadership, creativity, and innovativeness in pioneering a new treatment and research program to combat teen smoking".

Dr. Sander Genser, CAMCODA, received the Distinguished Service Medal of the U.S. Public Health Service, the highest corps award, "for conspicuous bravery in saving the life of a severely injured individual".

Dr. Ahmed Elkashef, DTR&D, received the Meritorious Service Medal of the U.S. Public Health Service "in recognition of exceptional effort in conceptualizing and operating the clinical pharmacology program and the methamphetamine clinical program".

NIDA staff members Drs. Ann Anderson, Janice Carico, Leslie Cooper, Peter Delany and Paul Na were among the group of over 50 "world trade center and anthrax responders" who were collectively bestowed an award.

Dr. Jack Manischewitz, OPRM, received the NIH Merit Award for his contributions as a member of the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health "Reviewing Inclusion Issues Subcommittee" at an Office of the Director Honor Awards Ceremony held August 14, 2002.

NIDA staff received the following awards at the Annual Appreciation Day event held August 13, 2002:

2002 NIDA Director's Awards

Individual Awards

Ms. Amira Debbas, DNBR
Herbert Weingartner, Ph.D., DNBR
Ms. Jan Lipkin, OSPC
Ms. Patricia Thomas, OSPC
Jack B. Stein, Ph.D., OSPC
Cathrine Sasek Ph.D., OSPC
Ms. Sara Rosario, OSPC
Mark Green, Ph.D., OEA
Ms. Pamela Stokes, OEA
Ms. Roxie Brown, DESPR
Mr. David Jones, OPRM
Mr. John Hamill, OPRM
Ms. Donna Jones, OPRM
Ms. Deborah Wertz, OPRM
Jack R. Manischewitz, Ph.D., OPRM
Jagjitsingh H. Khalsa, Ph.D., CAMCODA
Vincent Smeriglio, Ph.D., CAMCODA
Nora Chiang, Ph.D., DTR&D
Carol Cushing, RN, CCTN
Leslie A. Barnett, IRP

Group Awards

Blending Clinical Practice & Research
Jack B. Stein, Ph.D., OSPC
Tim Condon, Ph.D., OSPC
Ms. Beverly Jackson, OSPC
Ms. Blair Gately, OSPC
Ms. Niki Andrews, OSPC
Ms. Holly Buchanan, OSPC
Ms. Brenda Fogel, OSPC
Ms. Jane Holland, OSPC
Betty Tai, Ph.D., CCTN
Carol Cushing, RN, CCTN
Mary Ann Stephens-Chutuape, Ph.D., CCTN

The CEBRA Program Group
Susan Volman, Ph.D., DNBR
Ms. Jackie Porter, OEA
William Grace, Ph.D., OEA
Teresa Levitin, Ph.D., OEA

The OEA Grants Technical Assistants
Ms. Diana Souder, OEA
Ms. Annie Mathew, OEA
Ms. Marilyn Thomas, OEA
Ms. Angela Benjamin, OEA

The Prevention Initiative Workgroup
Katherine Davenny, M.P.H., CAMCODA
Vincent L. Smeriglio, Ph.D, CAMCODA
William Cartwright, Ph.D., DESPR
James D. Colliver, Jr., Ph.D., DESPR
Susan L David, M.P.H., DESPR
Peter Delany, D.S.W., DESPR
Shakeh Jackie Kaftarian, Ph.D., DESPR
Eve E. Reider, Ph.D., DESPR
Elizabeth B. Robertson, Ph.D., DESPR
Moira P. O'Brien, M.P.H., DESPR
Mark Green, Ph.D., OEA
Marina L. Volkov, Ph.D., OEA
Debra S. Grossman, M.A., DTR&D
Minda Lynch, Ph.D., DNBR
Steven J. Grant, Ph.D., DNBR
David Shurtleff, Ph.D., DNBR
Herbert Weingartner, Ph.D., DNBR
Lucinda Miner, Ph.D., OSPC
Jack B. Stein, Ph.D., OSPC
Ivan Montoya, M.D., DTR&D
Lisa S. Onken, Ph.D., DTR&D
Melissa W. Racippo, Ph.D., DTR&D
Suman A. Rao, Ph.D., OSPC

The IRMB Team
Ms. Tina McDonald-Bennett, OPRM
Ms. Marquerite Lewis, OPRM
Mr. Joe Reckley, OPRM
Mr. Michael Wright, OPRM
Mr. Berhane Yitbarek, OPRM

MASB Business Management Tech Staff
Sharon Goon, OPRM
Montrue Nelson, OPRM
Jean Yee, OPRM

Bridging Science & Culture Conference Planning Committee
Ana Anders, M.S.W., SPO
Ann Anderson, M.D., CCTN
Lula Beatty, Ph.D., SPO
Leslie Cooper, Ph.D., DESPR
Joseph Frascella, Ph.D., DTR&D
Ms. Pamela Goodlow, SPO
Dionne Jones, Ph.D., CAMCODA
Ms. Monica Jones, OSPC
Ms. Flair Lindsey, SPO
Ms. Sheryl Massaro, OSPC
Mr. Arnold Mills, M.S.W., DESPR
Amrat Patel, Ph.D., DTR&D
Ms. Rosemary Pettis, OD
Suman Rao, Ph.D., OSPC
Jack Stein, Ph.D., OSPC
Mark Swieter, Ph.D., OEA
Pushpa Thadani, Ph.D., DNBR

Equal Employment Opportunity Staff
Ms. Rosemary Pettis
Ms. Pamela Oliver

NIDA Equal Employment, Diversity amd Quality of Worklife Advisory Committee Award

Individual Award

Khursheed Asghar, Ph.D., OEA

Comissioned Corps Award

Honored for efforts and support during the WTC/Anthrax events
CAPT Leslie Cooper, DESPR
CAPT Janice Carico, IRP
LCDR Paul Na, IRP
LCDR Ann Anderson, DTR&D
Senior Nurse Officer Angela Martinelli, OSPC

Length of Service Awards

30 Years of Service

Mr. David C. Jones, OPRM
Richard L. Hawks, Ph.D., DTR&D

Employee of the Months Awardees

August 2001
James McKenzie, IRP
Michelle Scala, OPRM

September 2001
Duewa Williams, IRP

October 2001
Cindy Ambriz, IRP

November 2001
Amira Debbas, DNBR
Kandi Dillard, IRP

December 2001
Melissa Racioppo, DTRD
Christine McCray, IRP

January 2002
Pamela Oliver, OD
Patricia Ballerstadt, IRP

February 2002
Donna Inman, DTRD
Lena Eads, IRP

March 2002
Lyle Furr, OEA
Mary Pfeiffer, IRP

April 2002
Edwina Smith, DTRD
Theresa Doged, IRP

May 2002
Pat Mummaugh, OPRM
Margaret Griffin, IRP

June 2002
Eric Thorndike, IRP

July 2002
Diane French, IRP

Combined Federal Campaign Awards

Elizabeth Lambert, CAMCODA, Deputy Coordinator
Diane French, IRP
Christie Baxter, DNBR
Bryan Neccai, CAMCODA
Richard Harrison, OEA
Marc Brodsky, DESPR
Davy Jones, OPRM/MASB
Michael Wright, OPRM/IRMB
Carol Cornwell, OPRM/PFMB
Suzanne Dawkins, OPRM/CMB
Tu Phan, OPRM/GMB
Holly Buchanan, OSPC
Melissa Racioppo, DTRD
Ana Anders, OD

Dr. Jonathan L. Katz, IRP, was elected Chair of the ASPET Behavioral Pharmacology Division, [Chair-Elect, 2002-2003].

Dr. David Shurtleff, Acting Director, DNBR has been selected as one of the recipients of the American Psychological (APA) Meritorious Research Service Citation. This award was initiated this year by the APA Board of Scientific Affairs to recognize outstanding contributions in program development and research facilitation. The award will be presented at the December 2002 meeting of APA's Board of Directors.

Dr. Elizabeth Robertson, Chief, Prevention Research Branch, DESPR, was awarded the Society for Prevention Research 2002 Public Service Award on May 31, 2002 in Seattle Washington.

Dr. Jerry Flanzer, DESPR, received a special award from the National Association of Social Workers for his leadership and service as chair and board member of the Alcohol, Tobacco and other Addictions Section, 1997-2001.

Dr. Kathy Etz, DESPR, was elected to the Board of Directors for the Society for Prevention Research.

Staff Changes

Teneshia Alston joined OPRM's Contracts Management Branch as a Contract Specialist on June 30, 2002. Prior to coming to NIDA, Teneshia was with the National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute.

Allison Chausmer, Ph.D. joined the Translational Research Branch in the Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Research on August 26, 2002 as a Health Scientist Administrator. Dr. Chausmer received her Ph.D. in Psychology at the University of California, Santa Barbara, where she specialized in Neuroscience and Behavior. After a postdoctoral fellowship at NIDA's IRP working with dopamine receptor involvement in the behavioral effects of cocaine, she complemented her training in a second fellowship at the Behavioral Pharmacology Research Unit of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Dr. Chausmer's research experience with animal and human subjects will serve her well as she assumes responsibility for part of NIDA's nicotine/tobacco portfolio.

Redonna Chandler, Ph.D., joined the Division of Epidemiology, Services and Prevention Research Branch as a Social Scientist Analyst in May 2002. Redonna was trained as a psychologist and received her doctoral degree from the University of Kentucky in 1993. After completing her degree, she worked for three years on the faculty of Berea College, a small liberal arts college serving students from the Appalachian region of the United States. For six years, prior to joining NIDA, she worked for the Bureau of Prisons coordinating residential and non-residential substance abuse treatment for federally sentenced inmates. She developed a treatment program for inmates with co-occurring disorders and worked collaboratively with the National GAINS Center and the University of South Florida developing treatment protocols and training related to dually diagnosed offenders. Areas of interest include identifying and meeting the drug treatment needs of individuals involved in the criminal justice system, unique treatment and service needs of women, developing integrative treatment systems for individuals with co-occurring disorders, and the transfer of scientific knowledge to practice. As a licensed psychologist she is an active member in the American Psychological Association and serves as the co-chair for the Committee on Training and Practice of Division 35, Society for the Psychology of Women.

Vivian Chiu joined NIDA's Office of Extramual Affairs (OEA) as a Grants Technical Assistant on June 16, 2002.

Angela Davis joined the Office of the Director of NIDA's Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Research as an Office Automation Clerk on May 28, 2002.

Petra Exnerova, M.D., joined DESPR's Services Research Branch in June 2002 as a NIDA Fellow after completing a Humphrey fellowship in drug abuse treatment at Johns Hopkins University. Dr. Exnerova was trained as a psychiatrist and received her medical degree from Charles' University, Prague, Czech Republic in 1995. After finishing her studies, she worked in a mental hospital and outpatient clinic, where she was responsible for substance abuse treatment and prevention programs. Since 1998, she has been serving as a counselor at the Ministry of Health, where she coordinates drug policies, research and treatment programs for the Czech Republic. She extended the first methadone maintenance program and created the accreditation system for drug treatment services for her country. Dr. Exnerova will be at NIDA for 6-month lengths while she studies how NIDA applies theory -based research to the effective development of treatment and prevention programs. She is helping to develop mechanisms that will assist the establishment of a research infrastructure in the field of substance abuse in the Czech Republic to permit complementary research with US and other international scientists.

Diane Loeb joined OPRM's Contracts Management Branch as a Contract Specialist on June 30, 2002. Prior to coming to NIDA, Diane was with the Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

CAPT Steve Oversby, Psy.D., R.N., joined the CCTN as a Health Scientist Administrator in May 2002. Steve graduated from California State University, Hayward, and is a Public Health RN with Board Certifications in Chemical Dependency Nursing, Psychiatric Nursing, and "Advanced Practice" Addictions Nursing. He is also a Licensed Professional Addictions Counselor, and a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. Currently Steve is a post doc. student in the Fielding Institute's Neuropsychology, and PPR's Prescription Privilege Programs. Steve brings to the CCTN ten years of recent clinical experience in dual diagnosis counseling and psychotherapy, as well as two years of dual diagnosis program development experience with the D.C. Dept. of Mental Health. Based on SAMHSA/CSAT guidelines and "Best Practice Models" in the D.C. community, Steve wrote the recovery-based Dual Diagnosis Program, which was successfully implemented by St. Elizabeth's Hospital in March 2002, using the new "Treatment Mall" concept.

Catherine Pilotte joined the Office of the Director of the Division of Treatment Research and Development (DTR&D) as an Office Automation Clerk on June 2, 2002.

Stephanie Powell joined the Office of the Director of the Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Research (DNBR) as an Office Automation Clerk on May 28, 2002.

Beverly Pringle, Ph.D., joined DESPR's Services Research Branch as a Social Science Analyst in May 2002. Beverly completed her doctorate in clinical psychology at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where her research focused on distress management and preserved memory in sedated pediatric cancer patients. She trained at the Kennedy Krieger Institute and Johns Hopkins University Hospital in the field of behavioral pediatric psychology. Her research and clinical work there focused on behavioral treatments for pediatric patients and their families plus cognitive-behavioral treatments for inner city youth with multiple behavioral and emotional problems. Beverly's professional background includes work as a Senior Research Associate & Managing Director at Policy Studies Associates, Inc., where she conducted research and analysis on the organization, delivery, and effectiveness of educational services for special populations (i.e., children living in poverty, inner-city children, American Indians, children of migrant farm workers, bilingual children). Beverly's areas of focus at NIDA include adolescents, tobacco use, women's issues, and linkages among systems of care and service.

Robert D. Riddle, Ph.D. joined the Genetics and Molecular Neurobiology Research Branch in the Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Research on August 26, 2002 as a Health Scientist Administrator. Dr. Riddle received his Ph.D. from Northwestern University, Department of Biochemistry, Molecular Biology, and Cell Biology. Dr. Riddle's post-doctoral work at Harvard University Medical School led to the discovery of sonic hedgehog and Wnt7a as important signals in limb and neural development. Before coming to NIDA, Dr. Riddle was Assistant Professor in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine where he studied the molecular basis of midbrain/hindbrain formation.

SiHui Ruan joined the Office of the Director of the Division of Neuroscience and Behavioral Research (DNBR) as an Office Automation Clerk on June 2, 2002.

Ms. Susan Rubb joined NIDA's DTR&D in May 2002 as an Information Technology Management Specialist. Prior to joining NIDA, Ms. Rubb was a Senior Applications Developer for SAS Institute Inc. Prior to that she worked for Johns Hopkins University where she developed School-wide applications and also worked as a Senior Statistical Programmer in the Department of Epidemiology's Infectious Disease Program, co-authoring several papers for the MACS/Share longitudinal cohort study on HIV/AIDS. Ms. Rubb has an M.S. in Business from Johns Hopkins University with a concentration in Information Technology.

Laurence R. Stanford, Ph.D. joined NIDA's Clinical Neurobiology Branch within the Division of Treatment Research and Development as a health scientist administrator in June 2002. Previously he was a program director at the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development where he managed research programs on the neurobiological and neurobehavioral basis of mental retardation and developmental disabilities subsequent to serving as the Director of the NICHD Division of Scientific Review. Prior to coming to NIH, he was a faculty member at the Waisman Center on Mental Retardation and Human Development at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he conducted NIH- and NSF-funded research on the neurobiology and development of the retina and visual thalamus. Susan Weiss, Ph.D. joined the Science Policy Branch, OSPC in June 2002 as a Health Scientist Administrator. Dr. Weiss was previously the Senior Director of Research at the National Mental Health Association, and prior to that, served as the Chief, Unit on Behavioral Biology in the Biological Psychiatry Branch of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Dr. Weiss' research program at the NIMH sought to characterize the evolving nature of psychiatric and neurologic illnesses through the use of animal models, in order to help in the development of novel treatment options for patients with disorders of affect, anxiety, and substance abuse. Her research focused on the cellular and molecular changes associated with tolerance to anticonvulsant drugs, which are now used to treat affective disorders in addition to epilepsy. Dr. Weiss also studied the role of environmental factors in the behavioral and neurochemical responses to drugs of abuse. Dr. Weiss received her Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Maryland, and her B.A. in Psychology from the State University of New York at Stony Brook.

CDR Angela M. Martinelli, DNSc, RN left NIDA in May 2002 to accept a position in the Commissioned Corps Readiness Force, Office of Emergency Preparedness as a Response Coordinator. She had been with NIDA since February 2000 serving as the Deputy Research Training Coordinator in OSPC's Science Policy Branch.