| Antonio Scarpa, M.D., Ph.D., Named New Director
of the Center for Scientific Review
Bethesda, Maryland — National Institutes
of Health Director Elias A. Zerhouni, M.D., today announced the
appointment of Antonio Scarpa, M.D., Ph.D., as the new director
of the Center for Scientific Review (CSR). Dr. Scarpa is currently
the David and Inez Myers professor and chair of the Department of
Physiology and Biophysics at Case Western Reserve University in
Cleveland, Ohio.
“Dr. Scarpa brings an expansive intellect, distinguished
research career, and extensive administrative experience to the
critical task of leading CSR in managing the receipt and referral
of NIH grant applications and coordinating their review in CSR peer
review groups,” says Dr. Zerhouni. “He also brings an
abiding commitment to the peer review process and the scientific
community.” Dr. Scarpa has served as a permanent member of
three NIH peer review committees between 1983 and 2003, and he has
served on peer review committees for the American Heart Association.
Dr. Scarpa will replace Brent Stanfield, Ph.D., who became acting
director of CSR since October 2003, following the departure of Ellie
Ehrenfeld, Ph.D. Dr. Scarpa will join NIH on July 1, 2005.
“NIH peer review is world renowned for enabling NIH to fund
the most promising biomedical research,” says Scarpa. “I
am excited to join NIH and work to ensure the integrity, thoroughness,
and efficiency of CSR operations as it faces many challenges.”
Dr. Scarpa will rely on scientific administration skills honed during
his 18-year tenure at Case Western Reserve, where he oversaw the
development of a small physiology and biophysics department into
one now ranked among the best in the country.
 Dr. Scarpa has conducted biophysical research into the cellular
and molecular mechanisms of ion transport and homeostasis and the
metabolic consequences induced by transport. His investigations
have been supported by grants from the National Heart, Lung and
Blood Institute; the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism;
and the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney
Diseases. Dr. Scarpa has more than 225 peer-reviewed publications
and has edited or co-edited 9 books or special journal supplements.
Dr. Scarpa has been an active member of the scientific community.
He has been officer or board member of many scientific societies,
including The Biophysical Society, the Federation of American Societies
for Experimental Biology, and the Association American Medical Colleges.
Over the years, Dr. Scarpa also has served on the editorial boards
of 13 scientific journals and served as editor or co-editor for
5 journals: News in Physiological Sciences, Biochemistry and Molecular
Biology International, Cell Calcium, Archives of Biochemistry and
Biophysics, and Biophysical Journal.
Dr. Scarpa received his M.D. and Ph.D. (Libera Docenza) in general
pathology from the University of Padua School of Medicine, and he
conducted postdoctoral studies at the Weizmann Institute of Science
in Israel, the University of Utrecht in The Netherlands, and the
University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia. Dr. Scarpa continued
his research and academic career for 17 years at the University
of Pennsylvania before moving to Case Western Reserve in 1986.
The Center for Scientific Review organizes the peer review
groups that evaluate the majority of grant applications submitted
to the National Institutes of Health. CSR also receives all NIH
and many Public Health Service grant applications and assigns them
to the appropriate NIH Institutes and Centers and PHS agencies.
Additional information on CSR is available on our Web site (http://www.csr.nih.gov)
or by calling 301 435-1111. |
