NIH names Dr. Marie A. Bernard as Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity

Wednesday, May 26, 2021

National Institutes of Health Director Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D., has selected Marie A. Bernard, M.D., as NIH’s next Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity (COSWD). She will lead NIH’s effort to promote diversity, inclusiveness, and equity throughout the biomedical research enterprise. Dr. Bernard has served as the acting COSWD since October 2020, after the retirement of Hannah A. Valantine, M.D., who served as NIH’s first-ever COSWD. Dr. Bernard has also served as the deputy director of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) since October 2008.

“Dr. Bernard is an accomplished physician-scientist and has championed diversity and inclusion efforts over her entire career, including serving a leadership role in NIH’s most recent efforts to end structural racism in biomedical research through the UNITE initiative,” said Dr. Collins. “Her dedication and passion in creating equity and inclusion throughout the biomedical research enterprise are profound and inspiring. I am delighted that she will now be continuing in this vital leadership role for NIH on a permanent basis.”

Dr. Bernard has played key leadership roles in a broad variety of NIH activities to further diversity, including serving as a co-chair of the UNITE initiative, and leading the development of the NIA Health Disparities Research Framework, which guides NIA research in this area. She also directed and supervised the NIA Office of Special Populations, which leads health disparities research and training for scientists from diverse backgrounds within NIA.

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