In 2019, the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) launched its Women in Science series to highlight the exceptional contributions of its female researchers.
Alison Cernich, Ph.D.
Dr. Cernich is the Deputy Director of NICHD.
Diana Bianchi, M.D.
Dr. Bianchi is the Director of NICHD.
Mary Dasso, Ph.D.
Dr. Dasso leads NICHD’s Section on Cell Cycle Regulation and serves as the acting scientific director in the Division of Intramural Research (DIR).
Gisela Storz, Ph.D.
Dr. Storz is a senior investigator in NICHD’s Section on Environmental Gene Regulation and an associate scientific director in DIR.
Keiko Ozato, Ph.D.
Dr. Ozato is a senior investigator in the Section on Molecular Genetics of Immunity.
In addition to these full profiles, we also post regularly to our #WomenInScience series on our Instagram feed 
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Stephanie Lehman, Ph.D.
Dr. Stephanie Lehman came to NICHD to diversify her skills in infectious disease research. She uses Legionella pneumophila as a model organism to study how bacteria that threaten public health and safety infect cells and cause disease.
Leah Greenspan, Ph.D.
Dr. Leah Greenspan uses zebrafish as a model organism to understand how blood vessels regrow and restore blood to tissue after injury.
Aisha Burton, Ph.D.
Dr. Aisha Burton studies how small proteins regulate the stress response in E. coli. She also is part of NICHD’s Fellows Recruitment Incentive Award program, which promotes diversity among postdoctoral researchers by encouraging principal investigators to recruit diverse early stage scientists.
Laura Pillay, Ph.D.
Dr. Laura Pillay studies the genetic and molecular mechanisms that regulate blood vessel development and integrity (i.e., what makes vessels “leaky”) in the brain.
Marion Ouidir, Ph.D., M.Sc.
Dr. Marion Ouidir studies how environmental exposures affect fetal growth and the development of chronic metabolic diseases, such as diabetes and high blood pressure.
Perdita Taylor-Zapata, M.D.
Dr. Perdita Taylor-Zapata oversees projects on pediatric drug development. This includes the Best Pharmaceuticals for Children Act program, which helps doctors prescribe drugs for children in the safest and most effective ways.
Candace Tingen, Ph.D.
Dr. Candace Tingen oversees research grants focused on female reproductive health and gynecologic conditions, including uterine fibroids and menstrual disorders.
Karen Plevock Haase, Ph.D.
Dr. Karen Plevock Haase studies aging in the gut using Drosophila, or fruit flies, as a model organism in her work to identify genes involved in maintaining the health and integrity of gut tissues.
Keewan Kim, Ph.D.
Dr. Keewan Kim explores how nutritional and environmental factors influence couples’ fertility, including pregnancy, pregnancy loss, and live birth. Her work addresses questions common to couples who are pregnant or are trying to become pregnant.
Marina Venero Galanternik, Ph.D.
Dr. Marina Venero Galanternik’s work focuses on vessels in the meninges—the protective membranes that line the brain and spinal cord. Problems in the meninges can disrupt the blood-brain barrier and allow harmful substances or disease-causing microbes to enter.
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