Robin Arnette, Ph.D., is a science writer and editor at the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. As a member of the NIEHS Office of Communications and Public Liaison, Arnette shares stories about NIEHS research by developing press releases, producing science videos, and contributing to the Environmental Factor, the NIEHS newsletter.
Samantha Slaughter, M.P.H., has spent two decades happily poking around the often-bewildering world of health communication, always on the hunt for ways to make healthcare work smarter and speak clearer. She’s now bringing that curiosity to the IRP Blog, eager to delve into the compelling science bubbling up from NIH and introduce the fascinating people behind the breakthroughs.
Samantha thrives on untangling the knottiest of health topics — from the microscopic marvels of gene therapy to the societal puzzles of rare diseases and the ever-evolving landscape of patient care — transforming complexity into insights. She’s partnered with a veritable menagerie of organizations (regional health systems, non-profits, government agencies) to help patient voices shape research, champion system improvements, and ensure solid evidence, not just good intentions, guides critical health decisions.
A perpetual student of how things work (and how they could work better), Samantha embarked on a Ph.D. in Health Systems and Policy, nearly earning the rather fitting title of "Dr. Slaughter" before deciding two dissertation chapters were adventure enough (she calls it strategic quitting!). Her toolkit also includes an M.P.H. in International Health from Oregon State University, and a B.A. in Psychology and Health Communication from the University of Southern California.
When not pondering health systems, Samantha is in Portland, Oregon, negotiating hunter courses with her horse, Arlo, enthusiastically supporting her three children from various sidelines, and managing the delightful bedlam of five dogs.
Simona Patange is a Ph.D. candidate in biophysics with the UMD-NCI Partnership for Integrative Cancer Research. She first came to NIH in 2010 as a college junior from Portland, Oregon, hoping to have awesome summer internship in the NIH Intramural Research Program and see the sights of Washington, DC. After graduating, she returned to the IRP for a post-baccalaureate fellowship at NIH's NHLBI and graduate lab rotations at the NCI and NIBIB. Now a graduate student at NCI, she looks forward to sharing her stories of the IRP and the incredible people who make it a great place to work and learn.
Swagata Basu is a postdoctoral fellow at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) and is studying the role of Neuregulin-ErbB receptor signaling pathway in cortical excitability. She received her Ph.D. in neuroscience from the University of Texas at Dallas and used slice electrophysiology and cognition to understand the neural mechanisms underlying attention and impulsive behavior.
Tom Misteli, Ph.D., is an internationally renowned pioneer in the field of genome cell biology. He serves as Director of NIH's National Cancer Institute (NCI), as well as chief of NCI's Laboratory of Receptor Biology and Gene Expression. He trained at the University of London in the UK and at the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York, where he initiated the use of imaging approaches to study genomes in living cells. His laboratory at NIH aims to uncover fundamental principles of higher order genome organization and to apply this knowledge to the development of novel diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for cancer and aging. He has received numerous awards for his work, including the Gian Tondury Award, the Gold Medal of The Charles University, the 2012 Flemming Award, The Wilhem Bernhard Medal, and the Herman Beerman Award. He also acts as an advisor for several national and international agencies, and serves on numerous editorial boards.
Valerie Bonham, J.D., is a Senior Attorney in the NIH Branch of the DHHS Office of the General Counsel, where she advises on various matters, including human subjects protection; privacy, confidentiality, and HIPAA; data sharing; information and data quality; stem cell research; public-private partnerships; and oversight. She is the NIH Branch coordinating attorney for human subjects protection, privacy and clinical issues. From 2010 to 2102, Val served as the first Executive Director of the Presidential Commission for the Study of Bioethical Issues, an independent committee of the nation’s leaders in medicine, science, ethics, religion law, and engineering appointed by President Obama to advise on bioethical issues. Val speaks frequently on issues of human subjects protection, ethics, and legal risks in clinical and biomedical research. In 2014-2015 she is participating in the DHHS competitive SES Candidate Development Program. As part of that work she led development of the NIH Office of Intramural Research (OIR)’s Human Data Sharing Policy.
Yannis Grammatikakis, Ph.D., is a postdoctoral fellow in the RNA Regulation Section of the National Institute on Aging (NIA). His goal is to advance his career in the scientific field by exploring the molecular mechanisms of post-transcriptional gene regulation at the RNA level. When not busy at the bench, he likes running and playing soccer to help keep his physical and mental health in balance. He also enjoys watching movies, reading books and, more recently, writing blog posts.
This page was last updated on Friday, January 14, 2022
