Dr. Kent Hunter

Senior Investigator, Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics, National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Dr. Hunter earned his Bachelors in Science in Biochemistry from the Pennsylvania State University as a University Honors Scholar. While at the Pennsylvania State University Dr. Hunter performed research on bacterial transposons in the laboratory of Dr. David Tu. Subsequently, Dr. Hunter performed research on murine retroviruses in the laboratory of Dr. Nancy Hopkins at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and earned a Doctorate in Biology from MIT. He remained at MIT for his postdoctoral work, in the laboratory of Dr. David Housman. In 1996 Dr. Hunter began his career as an independent research as an Assistant Member at the Fox Chase Cancer Center, focusing on the genetics of breast cancer metastasis. Dr. Hunter was promoted to Senior Investigator in 2008 and joined the Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics (LCBG) the same year and became Deputy Laboratory Chief of the LCBG in 2015 and Acting Co-Chief in 2017. Dr. Hunter also holds an adjunct appointment in the Woman’s Malignancy Branch at the NCI and is a member of the Faculty of 1000.

Dr. Hunter has been consistently hiring a number of deaf individuals within his lab, continuing a trend started by Dr. Peter Blumberg, thus providing D/deaf and hard of hearing post-baccalaureate and post-doctorate individuals the opportunity to further their careers in an industry that has not historically been receptive to people with disabilities. By maintaining relations with deaf institutions and organizations, Dr. Hunter has been vital in ensuring that there are positions within his lab at NIH for young deaf scientists looking for opportunities to bolster their scientific expertise and show other members of the deaf and hard of hearing community that they can also be a part of cutting-edge scientific research.

Yani Ruiz-Perdomo, CRNP

Nurse Practitioner with National Institutes of Arthritis, Musculoskeletal & Skin Diseases (NIAMS)

Yani Ruiz-Perdomo is a Nurse Practitioner with NIAMS for the past 4 years. Her duties include: providing care for patients with rheumatological diseases, serving as an Assisting Investigator for a protocol studying minority populations, managing the community clinic now located in the Clinical Center, performs research nurse duties, participates in the training of Rheumatology fellows, visiting trainees, and mentors post-bacs. But by far, the best part of her job is caring for the underserved, underinsured minority populations in the Washington Metropolatin area.

Her supervisor, Dr. James Katz, says that Yani "serves the community in a manner that reflects well on the NIH. She has advocated on behalf of all her patients professionally and selflessly. Patients with arthritis commonly have multiple social, financial, and sometimes even legal, barriers to healthcare; and in our specific situation, this occurs in clients who evidence weakness in English Language proficiency. Working at this clinic means that Yani is active towards the laudable goal of removing barriers to care for a population that is in great need of rheumatology expertise".

In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, Gaby, family, and friends. She likes gardening and is a Pittsburg Steelers fan (even when they are having a bad year).

In conclusion, to be able to blend her career goals with her personal goals makes the perfect combination for a life full of challenges, and personal satisfaction.

Stella Sieber

National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), Division of Intramural Research/Signal Transduction Laboratory (DIR)/(STL) , Molecular Genomics Core (MGC), Biologist (BSLT)

On July 29, 2001, a rainy Sunday afternoon, Stella was on her way home from Washington, DC, when she stopped on the side of the road to assist a vehicle that had hydroplaned and flipped over. While at the back of her car, another driver hit the rear of her car, pinning her in between. The impact instantly made her a bilateral above-the-knee amputee with several spinal fractures and two broken femurs. Through a comprehensive rehabilitation program, determination and increased physical strength, she learned to walk with prosthetic legs and adapt to a shorter height.

What Stella didn’t realize on that rainy day, was that her act of kindness would change her life and launch a new calling as an advocate for the limb loss/limb deficiency (LL/LD) community. Over the last 18 years, she has promoted limb loss awareness and provided leadership in the disability community. Stella travels across the country giving lectures and participating in panel discussions and committees that speak to the concerns of people with LL/LD. These forums are gathering places for healthcare professionals, developers, researchers, amputees, and their family members. Stella’s involvement helps shape inclusion policies that affect LL/LD people and allows her to contribute her expertise in a meaningful way. She especially enjoys meeting one-on-one with people experiencing limb loss, listening and showing them how they might overcome their challenges. These personal interactions make a difference.

Despite many challenges, Stella has led a full and rich life, continuing her work as a biologist at NIEHS, spending time with family and friends, advocating for and serving other people with limb loss, and enjoying many indoor and outdoor recreational activities. Her experience has made her a stronger person, and more importantly, her selfless efforts have added richness to the lives of many. As an LL/LD advocate, presenter, trainer, and mentor, Stella’s leadership is clear evidence that one person can transform an entire community.

Dr. Caroline Signore

Deputy Director, Division of Extramural Research, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Caroline Signore MD, MPH, is a board-certified obstetrician-gynecologist and is the Deputy Director of the Division of Extramural Research at NICHD. Dr. Signore completed her medical training in obstetrics and gynecology residency at the University of Florida and earned a master's in public health at George Washington University. She came to NICHD first as a student and post-doc in the Division of Epidemiology, Statistics, and Prevention Research in 2003, transitioning to the Pregnancy and Perinatology Branch as a Medical Officer in 2006. Her interest in the reproductive health care needs of women with disabilities arose in 1996, when, shortly after completing her residency, she sustained a traumatic cervical spinal cord injury.

Dr. Anne Sumner

Senior Investigator and Chief of the Section of Ethnicity and Health, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Dr. Anne Sumner, tenured Investigator at NIH, is Chief of the Section of Ethnicity and Health, Director of the NIH-Rwandan Health Program and Adjunct Faculty at the University of Global Health Equity. She is a graduate of Brown University and the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine. Her career is dedicated to the prevention of diabetes in people of African descent. Her goal is to improve screening for asymptomatic disease so that intervention can be implemented early enough to improve outcomes. Her research protocols are creating a data bridge between Africans living in America and Africans living in Africa so both groups contribute and benefit as earlier ways to prevent diabetes are identified. In addition, she has mentored many scientists from underrepresented backgrounds. Plus, she works to improve opportunities, acceptance and quality of life for people with disabilities at NIH, universities, scientific meetings and in the community.

Kelli Van Zee

Staff Assistant National Institutes on Deafness and other Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

Kelli Van Zee was born with a disability and has overcome many challenges because of it. She graduated with an English degree and joined the Peace Corps from 2006 – 2009 where she served in Niger, West Africa. Kelli worked in emergency response until 2015 when she joined the NIH. Part of her work in Peace Corps was advocating for Nigeriens with disabilities and working to improve quality of life at the community level.

Van Zee carried those experiences with her to learn how to advocate for herself and others at NIH. NIDCD gives her the platform to continue to work on behalf of employees with disabilities to promote inclusion and improve the quality of accessible software and services.

Joseph Cox

Branch Chief, Employee Transportation Service Office (ETSO)

Joe Cox serves as the Transportation Branch Chief in the Division of Amenities and Transportation Services (DATS), Office of Researcher Services. Joe came to DATS in July of 2007. Joe has been very innovative in streamlining transportation programs for the NIH. When Joe came to DATS, he worked with Metro to implement the SmartBenefits program to streamline transit subsidies. Joe and his transportation team worked to create the Commuter and Parking Services (CAPS) system. This system is a one-of-a-kind system that other federal agencies try to replicate. Before CAPS, everyone had to come into the Employee Transportation Services Office every six months to renew their Transhare and every year to renew their parking permits. Parking permits now have multiple-year options and Transhare is renewed annually. All Transhare and parking permits can be obtained or renewed online. Joe’s Branch also manages parking and shuttle contracts for the campus. Joe serves as the NIH liaison to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments, Bethesda Transportation Partners, and other Montgomery Council transportation organizations.

Joe served the community as a law enforcement officer for over 30 years at the local and federal level. Community service and customer service is where Joe gets job satisfaction and pride. Joe stated that he has met so many wonderful people while working at NIH and enjoys his interactions with such a diverse and mission-focused group. Joe is so proud of his transportation team who work tirelessly to make transportation issues look seamless.

Louise Davis

Transportation Program Manager, Division of Amenities and Transportation Services (DATS)

Louise Davis is the Transportation Program Manager in the DATS. She began her career with the Department of Navy, Personnel Support Detachment in August 1986 where she assisted active duty and civilian personnel with travel arrangements. She transferred to the NIH in 1999 to the NIH Police & Fire Emergency Communications where she was responsible for dispatching both the police and fire departments on non-emergency and emergency calls.

In 2004 she came to work for DATS as the Shuttle and Parking Services Quality Assurance Specialist, overseeing patient shuttle and parking services for the NIH. In 2008 she was promoted to the Transportation Program Manager.

Louise is focused on providing customer-focused service throughout her career. She has worked closely with the NIH disabled community, which instilled in her compassion, drive, and commitment to improving services.

As the Transportation Program Manager, Louise is responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations as of both the Parking and Shuttle services at the NIH. She focuses on providing and promoting excellent customer service. Louise ensures her contract employees are aware of accessible policies, practices, and how to best provide services to the NIH customers. Louise is committed to providing excellent services to the NIH Employee, Patients ad Visitors.

Nicole Huntington

Program Specialist, Employee Transportation Service Office (ETSO)

Nicole Huntington started working in the ETSO in 2000. Huntigton thrives on meeting and working with people to find the best means for them to arrive at work. Back in 2015, she came up with the concept for the Take Your Child to Work Twitter Scavenger Hunt. She did this because it was a great way for both kids and parents to get to know what NIH has to offer and because she believes if we pause just a moment and look around, we notice and enjoy the small details that make up a big picture.

Michelle Mejia

Program Manager, Employee Transportation Service Office (ETSO)

Michelle Mejia is the ETSO Program Manager in the NIH Division of Amenities and Transportation Services (DATS). She began her career at USDA at the Human Resources Headquarters in September 1996 as part of the high school work-study program. She was a student aid and, upon graduating from high school, was promoted to Office Assistant. She transferred to the NIH in 2002 as the Office Clerk in the Division of Facility Planning. In 2004 Michelle worked in the Division of International Services as the Program Specialist. In 2007 she worked in DATS as the Shuttle and Parking Services Quality Assurance Specialist, overseeing patient shuttle and parking services for the NIH’s Clinical Center. In 2017 she was promoted to the ETSO Program Manager.

Michelle has specialized in customer-focused service throughout her career. She has worked closely with the NIH disabled community, which has instilled in her compassion, drive, and commitment to improving services.

As the Program Manager of the ETSO, also called "NIH Parking Office," Michelle is responsible for overseeing day-to-day operations as well as supporting Transhare and Parking services at the NIH. She focuses on providing and promoting excellent customer service. Michelle always ensures staff is aware of accessible policies, practices, and how to best provide alternate commuting solutions for customers. Michelle’s collaboration with the NIH community serves to achieve and sustain the best research and work environments possible.