Elizabeth Ginexi

About

I’m a Science & Innovation Strategy leader who architects national research investments, translates complexity into decision-ready insight, and builds infrastructure that makes research more responsive to the communities it serves.

I began my career in advanced quantitative research at George Washington University, leading longitudinal behavioral health analysis at Westat, and managing massive federal survey datasets for the Army Research Institute and Defense Manpower Data Center. Working with imperfect data taught me how to translate academic rigor into strategic direction and lead science at scale.

As a Scientific Program Director at the National Institutes of Health, I co-authored 18 federal funding initiatives generating $778M in research investments and managed a $132M portfolio spanning behavioral health, cancer prevention, and integrative health. I built the NIH Whole Person Initiative across 18 institutes, co-launched the $40M Tobacco Centers of Regulatory Science in partnership with FDA, and created a national predoctoral data science training program to modernize the biomedical workforce. I also helped shape AI governance frameworks and cross-agency strategy to align emerging science with federal priorities.

Currently at Indiana University’s Cyberinfrastructure for Network Science Center, I translate cellular-level data from the Human Reference Atlas into clinically relevant, educational, and AI-enabled applications. I lead 20+ experts producing the Multiscale Human Reference Atlas (MIT Press), an interactive 3D reference linking anatomy to biomedical datasets, and design sustainability and commercialization strategies that extend the impact beyond initial funding.

To expand my expertise, I've earned certifications in Generative AI Leadership and Google Project Management to strengthen my ability to lead technology-enabled strategy. I also serve in subject matter expert roles with the Society for Prevention Research (SPR) and the Addiction Science Defense Network.

And when I’m not building scientific infrastructure, I’m likely out on the slopes skiing or on a bike climbing mountains — including Mont Ventoux (twice)!

Roles

Jul 2003–Apr 2025

Former role

Health Scientist Adminstrator

National Institutes of Health (NIH), Department of Health and Human Services

Maryland

Project CoordinatorResearch ScientistTechnical Writing and EditingHealth ScienceComplianceAdministrativeProgram Management

Provided strategic leadership for at the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Cancer Institute, the Office of Behavioral & Social Sciences Research, and the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health to promote transformative change and innovations in biomedical and behavioral health and disease prevention. Managed $132M Portfolio (305 Grants) in Behavioral Health, Cancer Prevention & Integrative Health.

Highlights:

Architected 18 federal funding mechanisms generating $778M (1,087 awards), shaping national research/regulatory investment priorities in behavioral health, cancer prevention, and data science.

Orchestrated 18 stakeholder institutes to help establish the NIH Whole Person Initiative, fostering multi-scale human knowledge integration.

Co-Chaired the Interagency Modeling & Analysis Group of 100+ program staff from 20+ federal agencies coordinating computational modeling, AI/ML/data science innovations.

Created the OBSSR Predoctoral Training in Advanced Data Analytics (TADA) program, empowering 100+ scholars with data science skills to increase behavioral and social sciences research capacity across the United States.

Directed operations & governance for 8-site $46M NCI State and Community Tobacco Control (SCTC) Initiative, developed the Manual of Operations and facilitated state-level collaboration with public health stakeholders.

Secured competitive funding ($370k) to lead a team of 8 researchers for a longitudinal social network analysis of the SCTC initiative; findings published in Research Evaluation.

Managed the NIDA Transdisciplinary Prevention Research Centers, steering research initiatives, neuroscience-based pilot projects, and hosting team events across multiple universities.

Authored and presented extensively in peer-reviewed publications and at national conferences, communicating complex research and methodologies.portfolios.

Dec 2000–Jun 2003

Former role

Senior Study Director

Westat

Rockville, Maryland

Project CoordinatorData AnalystHealth Science

Provided organizational leadership for 4 concurrent large-scale drug abuse/prevention evaluations (NIAAA/SAMHSA), managing complex programs.

Led multivariate statistical data analysis for federally funded behavioral health research (substance abuse), ensuring rigorous evaluation and evidence-based insights.

Supervised/mentored graduate research assistants, fostering a high-performing team.

Contributed to strategic planning and coordinated longitudinal analyses for an NIAAA alcohol prevention project), demonstrating advanced analytic skills.

Redesigned evaluation plans/data collection for a SAMHSA state incentive grant program, improving design and data quality.

Managed data management/quality control for federal reporting across multiple large projects.

Co-developed federal research proposals with multidisciplinary teams, incorporating complex project designs and methodologies to secure funding, while meeting tight deadlines.

Utilized SAS, Mplus for advanced longitudinal/outcome analyses, providing unique insights into patient treatment trajectories in publicly funded substance abuse programs.