Women's History Month 2021

Women Who
Lead NIH’s
COVID Response

This Women’s History Month, EDI celebrates and acknowledges women in leadership positions at the NIH, leading in the NIH COVID response. We will not only highlight their work but the women behind it. These influencers of change shared their personal and professional stories illustrating their steps in their illustrious careers. We hope that their stories will allow other women and girls to see themselves and know what is possible for them.

NIH’s Women Who Lead

Julie Berko

Director, OHR

Ms. Berko leads NIH staff in navigating workforce issues related to COVID such as the return to physical workspaces, new pay and leave flexibilities...and more.

Dr. Emmie de Wit

Chief, Laboratory of Virology, NIAID

Dr. de Wit is the chief of the Molecular Pathogenesis section in the Laboratory of Virology at Rocky Mountain Laboratories (part of NIAID) in Hamilton, MT. Her lab is one of the first labs to develop an animal model to study how the SARS-CoV-2 virus causes disease, leading to the discovery of uses for remdesivir treatment in combating the development of COVID-19 pneumonia.

Each time a woman stands up for herself, without knowing it possibly, without claiming it, she stands up for all women.
— Maya Angelou

Dr. Monica Webb Hooper

Deputy Director, NIMHD

Dr. Hooper has a significant role in the scientific response to COVID-19, particularly focused on several large-scale initiatives to address the pandemic in underserved and vulnerable communities.

Dr. Jessica M. McCormick-Ell

Director, Division of Occupational Health and Safety, OD

Dr. McCormick-Ell’s division has a hand in almost every aspect of the COVID response. Dr. McCormick-Ell’s division is responsible for setting and outlining the safe practices and recommendations for the NIH during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Colleen McGowan

Director, Office of Research Services

Ms. McGowan’s team provides trans-NIH leadership of COVID-19 response activities that support staff health and continuity of NIH mission-centric functions. Click below to learn more about her team’s contributions.

Dr. Sharon Milgram

Director, Office of Intramural Training and Education

Dr. Milgram helps trainees and the biomedical research community deal with all of the stressors thrown at us in the last year. Her team has runs webinars to teach our community about healthy striving, stress management, resilience and mental health.

Renate Myles

Deputy Director, Public Affairs in the NIH Office of Communications and Public Liaison

Ms. Myles manages three branches that support staff and public communication for NIH’s COVID-19 response. Notably, Ms. Myles manages all major announcements from the Office of the Director, including press rollouts/events for launches and results of the numerous vaccine and treatment trials through the Accelerating COVID-19 Therapeutic Interventions and Vaccine (ACTIV).

Dr. Tara Schwetz

Associate Deputy Director of NIH

Dr. Schwetz helps to lead several COVID-19 related efforts – from the Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics Underserved Populations (RADx-UP) and Radical (RADx-rad) programs to the NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for COVID-19 Research to the COVID-19 Mental Health Response Working Group. Dr. Schwetz also serves as a member of the COVID-19 Response Team (fondly known as the “7:30 am Club”).