Team: Strategic Planning, Evaluation, and Communications (SPEC); Transformational Science and Discovery (TSD)

Functional Area: Communication and Outreach; Program Evaluation and Analysis; Program Strategic Planning; Science Policy; Website Content

Programs: Human BioMolecular Atlas Program (HuBMAP); Somatic Mosaicism Across Human Tissues (SMaHT)

Dena Procaccini, M.A., joined OSC in November of 2018 as the Scientific Program Manager for the Human BioMolecular Atlas Program (HuBMAP). Ms. Procaccini received her B.S. from Ursinus College in 1995, and her M.A. from the College of William and Mary in 1997, both in the field of Biology. In 2011, she joined the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA) as the Scientific Program Analyst for the Epigenomics program. While at NIDA, Ms. Procaccini assisted in the coordination and management of the Roadmap Epigenomics program, the Extracellular RNA Communication program, and the International Human Epigenomics Consortium. In 2017, Ms. Procaccini became the Scientific Program Manager for the Translator Project, where she coordinated the workgroups and liaisons within the program, until she joined OSC.

Team: Division of Other Transactions Management (DOTM)

Functional Area: Award Management and Tracking; Other Transactions

Programs: Community Partnerships to Advance Science for Society (ComPASS)

Amber Puga joined the Office of Strategic Coordination (OSC) Division of Other Transactions Management (DOTM) in June 2023. Prior to joining NIH Amber was a grant manager at CRDF Global who managed NIH RePORT and Fogarty Grants and World Health Organization Grants. Amber served as a Budget and Grant Manager with Refugee Services of Texas where she oversaw Office of Victims Crimes Grant with the Department of Justice. Amber earned her undergraduate degree at Our Lady of the Lake University the BA in Philosophy and English and Master of Science in Public Administration at Trinity University.

Team: Transformational Science and Discovery (TSD)

Functional Area: Award Management and Tracking; Budget and Reporting; Other Transactions; Program Evaluation and Analysis; Program Management; Program Strategic Planning

Programs: Nutrition for Precision Health, powered by the All of Us Research Program; Somatic Cell Genome Editing (SCGE); Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions (SPARC)

Dr. Felicia Qashu joined the Office of Strategic Coordination in 2016. She earned her Ph.D. in neuroscience in 2009 from the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USUHS), studying neuroanatomical and electrophysiological changes in the amygdala in a rat model of epilepsy. In 2010, she joined the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC) as a scientific advisor, and then became the DVBIC Deputy Director of Research in 2013. At DVBIC, Dr. Qashu was responsible for leading and overseeing a clinical research program on traumatic brain injury (TBI) in military service members and veterans. In addition to her Program Leader role in the Common Fund, Dr. Qashu supported NIH’s Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics Technology (RADx Tech) Initiative, which developed and scaled up the national capacity for diagnostic testing during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Team: Division of Other Transactions Management (DOTM)

Functional Area: Other Transactions

Programs: Artificial Intelligence/Machine Learning Consortium to Advance Health Equity and Researcher Diversity (AIM AHEAD); NIH Cloud Platform Interoperability Program (NCPI)

Brianna Quinn joined the Office of Strategic Coordination (OSC)-Division of Other Transactions Management (DOTM) as an Other Transactions Agreements Specialist in July 2023. Prior to joining OSC, she was a Contract Specialist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), and prior to NOAA Ms. Quinn worked for various federal agencies in both financial and program analysis. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminology from the University of South Florida and her Juris Doctorate from Stetson University College of Law.

Team: Catalytic Data Resources (CDR)

Functional Area: Program Management

Programs: Bridge to Artificial Intelligence (Bridge2AI); Cellular Senescence Network (SenNet); Common Fund Data Ecosystem(CFDE); Community Partnerships to Advance Science for Society (ComPASS)

Dr. Haluk Resat joined the Office of Strategic Coordination in 2020, where he leads the Bridge2AI program and is part of the program team helping to integrate data from multiple Common Fund programs within the CFDE. Previously, Dr. Resat was a program director in the Division of Biophysics, Biomedical Technology, and Computational Biosciences (BBCB) at the National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS). In this role, he managed research and training grants in bioinformatics, computational biology, data science, mathematical biology, systems biology, and biotechnology areas. Before joining NIGMS/NIH, Dr. Resat was an associate professor in the Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering at Washington State University. He has also worked as a senior research scientist at the Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and was an associate professor at Koç University in Turkey.

Dr. Resat earned a B.S. in physics and electrical engineering from Bogaziçi University in Turkey and a Ph.D. in physics from Stony Brook University. He was a postdoctoral fellow both at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York and the University of California, San Diego.

Team: Division of Other Transactions Management (DOTM)

Functional Area: Other Transactions

Programs: Bridge to Artificial Intelligence (Bridge2AI); Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions (SPARC)

Brandon Riley joined the Office of Strategic Coordination (OSC)-Division of Other Transactions Management (DOTM) as an Other Transactions Agreements Specialist in July 2023. Prior to joining OSC, Mr. Riley held a grants management positions at USDA-ARS. He received his Bachelor of Science degree in mass communications from Newberry College in South Carolina and his master’s degree in project management from University of Maryland University College.

Team: Office Management Team

Functional Area: Office Management

Programs: Administrative & Budgetary Management; All Common Fund Programs; Contract Oversight; Management Analysis; Office-wide Engagement; Physical Space Management; Administrative & Budgetary Management; Workforce Planning & Development

Imari Riley joined the Office of Strategic Coordination (OSC) in July 2023. She serves as a Program Analyst. Prior to joining OSC, she worked for the FDA as an Operations Research Analyst. She earned her B.S. in Biology from the University of Maryland Eastern Shore and a Master’s in Health Administration from the University of Maryland College Park.

Team: Transformational Science and Discovery (TSD)

Functional Area: Team Management

Programs: 4D Nucleome (4DN); Acute to Chronic Pain Signatures (A2CPS); Cellular Senescence Network (SenNet); Extracellular RNA Communication (ExRNA); Harnessing Data Science for Health Discovery and Innovation in Africa (DS-I Africa); Human Virome Program; Illuminating the Druggable Genome (IDG); Molecular Transducers of Physical Activity in Humans (MoTrPAC); NIH Director's Early Independence Award (EIA); NIH Director's New Innovator Award (NIA); NIH Director's Pioneer Award (PA); NIH Director's Transformative Research Award (TRA); Nutrition for Precision Health, powered by the All of Us Research Program; Somatic Mosaicism Across Human Tissues (SMaHT); Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions (SPARC); Transformative High Resolution Cryo-Electron Microscopy (CryoEM)

As the Assistant Director for TSD, Ananda will oversee multiple Common Fund programs. Ananda has been at the OSC/NIH for seven years and during this time, he has led several Common Fund programs and written commentaries describing the outcomes of these programs, providing the OSC/NIH perspective on program management as well as the science of the programs. He maintains his scientific credentials in part through continued work in the lab as an Adjunct Investigator in the Laboratory of Molecular Biology and Immunology at the National Institute on Aging, focusing on transcriptional signatures associated with immune-cell activation. He also serves on the editorial board of multiple journals related to his research. Prior to joining the NIH, Ananda was an Associate Professor at Tufts University where he maintained his lab and directed the Biomedical Program in Genetics. He received his doctoral degree from the University of Nebraska and did postdoctoral training at The Rockefeller University. He is also committed to OSC/DPCPSI efforts to foster diversity, equity, inclusion and accessibility in our workplace.

Team: Division of Other Transactions Management (DOTM)

Functional Area: Other Transactions

Programs: Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions (SPARC)

Melody A. Salcedo joined the Division of Other Transactions Management (DOTM) within the Office of Strategic Coordination (OSC), in October 2022. She serves as an Other Transactions Agreements and Policy Specialist contractor. She earned her Juris Doctorate at St. Thomas University School of Law and her B.A. from State University of New York at Albany. Prior to joining the Common Fund, she worked for The Department of Off-Street Parking of the City of Miami and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission in their respective legal and enforcement departments.

Team: Strategic Planning, Evaluation, and Communications (SPEC)

Functional Area: Communication and Outreach; Program Strategic Planning

Programs: All Common Fund Programs

Michelle Schneider joined the NIH Common Fund in December 2023 as the Digital Communications Specialist. She brings over a decade of communications and marketing experience to the organization. Michelle’s educational journey includes a current pursuit of an M.S. in Digital Marketing at Liberty University, complementing her B.A. in Communications from California State University San Marcos and a Business Strategy Certification from Harvard Business School.

Team: Immediate Office of the Director (IMOD)

Functional Area: Legislative Contact; Program Strategic Planning; Science Policy

Programs: All Common Fund Programs

Lorjetta Schools came to the Office of Strategic Coordination (OSC) in November 2023 as a Health Science Policy Analyst. Prior to joining OSC, Lorjetta spent ~6 months in the Immediate Office of the Director (IMOD) as a Health Science Policy Analyst. Before IMOD, Lorjetta sent five years with the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) as a Scientific Policy Analyst. While there, Lorjetta assisted with the development of “Building a Diverse Genomics Workforce: An NHGRI Action Agenda” and its subsequent Implementation Plan and Progress Report. She also developed a new DEIA Awards program and created funding opportunities targeting diverse scientific communities. Before joining NIH, she worked at various genomic and biotech companies in the area, focusing on rare genetic disorder diagnostics, developing quality control methodology, and advancing medical devices. She received her bachelor’s degree from Morgan State University in Baltimore and received her Master of Business Administration from University of Maryland University College in 2019.