Meet Our Program Mentors
Program mentors are seasoned NIH scientific extramural staff with demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility; outstanding mentoring experience; and passion for fostering professional and personal growth among early-career staff. (Bios are as of March 2024)
Mentors
Robert Rivers, Ph.D.
Program Director, Office of Minority Health Research Coordination (OMHRC), National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)
Dr. Robert Rivers is a Program Director in the Office of Minority Health Research Coordination (OMHRC) at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK). He leads programs that focus on addressing diseases and disorders that disproportionately impact the health of racial and ethnic minority populations. Additionally, he manages programs and a grant portfolio that fosters the recruitment and training of the next generation of researchers. He holds a B.S. in chemistry from Kentucky State University and a Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Cambridge, and he is a former AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
Lauren Ullrich, Ph.D.
Program Director, Office of Programs to Enhance Neuroscience Workforce Diversity, Division of Extramural Activities, National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Dr. Lauren Ullrich (she/her) helps coordinate the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke’s (NINDS) diversity activities, focusing on funding opportunities supporting graduate students, postdocs, and faculty, as well as mentoring networks across critical career transition points. She received her Ph.D. and M.S. in neuroscience from Georgetown University, researching memory in early Alzheimer's disease for her thesis, and she also published on teaching, pedagogy, and professional development in science. She received her B.A. from Swarthmore College in psychobiology. Prior to coming to NINDS as an AAAS Science & Technology Fellow, she worked for the Society for Neuroscience in a range of policy and programmatic areas, including government and public affairs; scientific rigor and reproducibility; workforce and training; and animals in research.
Elaine Sierra-Rivera, Ph.D.
Scientific Review Officer and Chief, Endocrine and Metabolic Systems (EMS) Review Branch
Center for Scientific Review (CSR)
Dr. Elaine Sierra-Rivera is Chief of the Endocrine and Metabolic Systems (EMS) Review Branch at the Center for Scientific Review (CSR). EMS reviews applications addressing molecular, cellular, and higher order hormone-regulated processes in physiology and pathophysiology. This group specifically includes research related to disorders of the endocrine system, diabetes, obesity, nutrition, and metabolic disorders, as well as research related to the biology of reproduction and disorders of fetal and neonatal life. After receiving her Ph.D. in cancer biology/radiation biology at the University of Iowa, she joined the pathology department at Brown University as a research associate. She then went to Vanderbilt University School of Medicine, where she was an assistant professor. She has previously served as the Deputy Chief of CSR’s Oncological Sciences Integrated Review Group and participated in many important CSR and trans-NIH initiatives such as the NIH Senior Leadership Program, and both the NIH SRO Technical Competencies Committee and the CSR Diversity Committee (co-chair for both).
David Shurtleff, Ph.D. (Super Mentor)
Deputy Director, Acting Scientific Director, National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH)
Dr. David Shurtleff is Deputy Director of the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH). He is also the acting Scientific Director and acting Chief for both the Clinical Investigations Branch and the Pain and Integrative Neuroscience Branch, Division of Intramural Research. He served as acting Director of NCCIH from October 2017 to November 2018. His career at NIH has focused on providing leadership and fostering an extensive research portfolio in the basic behavioral and neurosciences—cognitive studies, behavioral economics, decision theory, and risk-taking—and a broad spectrum of research that has contributed to cutting-edge research related to drug abuse, addiction, and their treatment. He holds a B.S. degree from the University of Massachusetts. He received his M.A. and Ph.D. degrees in experimental psychology from American University. Among his many honors and awards are the NIH Director’s Award for outstanding leadership, vision, dedication, and oversight in developing the NIH Blueprint Neurotherapeutics Grand Challenge, and the NIH Director’s Award for outstanding contributions to the development and advancement of diverse programs in basic neuroscience and behavioral research.