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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Mor Alkaslasi
Mor Alkaslasi is a graduate student working in Dr. Claire Le Pichon’s lab. She is in NIH’s Graduate Partnerships Program, which enables students to conduct their thesis research at NIH while earning their doctorate.
Tatiana K. Rostovtseva, Ph.D.
Dr. Tatiana Rostovtseva is an associate scientist in NICHD’s Section on Molecular Transport who has worked in labs around the globe and whose research is now incorporated into textbooks on mitochondria.
Rafaella De Pace, Ph.D.
Dr. Raffaella De Pace is a postdoctoral researcher whose interest in science began at an early age. Her research may help identify therapeutic targets for nervous system diseases like hereditary spastic paraplegias.
Kyla Roland
Kyla Roland is a trainee who is part of NICHD’s Developing Talent Scholars Program. She wants to earn her Ph.D. and become a science educator to encourage diversity in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Elodie Mailler, Ph.D., M.Sc.
Dr. Elodie Mailler is a molecular and cell biologist who currently studies autophagy, the intricate process that enables a cell to recycle unused or unnecessary components.
Vasilisa Aksenova, Ph.D.
Dr. Vasilisa Aksenova studies nuclear pore complexes, which regulate what enters and exits the nucleus, and the expression of genes, among other key roles.
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.
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