Team: Re-Engineering the Biomedical Workforce (RRE)

Functional Area: Program Management

Programs: Community Partnerships to Advance Science for Society (ComPASS)

Salsawi “Sal” Kebede joined the Office of Strategic Coordination (OSC) in June 2024. He serves as a Scientific Program Analyst supporting the Community Partnerships to Advance Science for Society (ComPASS) program. He brings over seven years of experience in research, project management, and public health. Before joining OSC, he worked for a short period at CSR providing administrative and program support for peer review meetings. Prior to joining NIH, he conducted research and managed projects as a Faculty Research Assistant at the University of Maryland with a focus on antibiotic resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae and development of surfactant-based vaccines using bacterial surface molecules. He also served as a community partner to several community health initiatives in Maryland creating tailored and research-based health communication materials. He earned his B.S. in Microbiology and MPH in Behavioral and Community Health from the University of Maryland College Park.

Team: Immediate Office of the Director (IMOD)

Functional Area: Other Transactions; Review Management; Science Policy

Programs: All Common Fund Programs; All Common Fund Programs for Other Transaction Activities

Karen Kellton joined the Common Fund in the Office of Strategic Coordination as a contractor Executive Assistant to the Director in March 2019 before transitioning to a federal Program Specialist position within the Office Management Team in September 2021, moved to be the Program Specialist for the Catalytic Data Resources Team in August 2022 and as of July 2024 serves as a Program Analyst in the Immediate Office of the Director of OSC working on Other Transactions, Review Management and Science Policy. Before joining our office, Karen worked at the NIH Center for Scientific Review since 2016 as an administrative assistant, doing program management support, administrative operations, meeting logistics, and application tracking/processing. Prior to that, she served in several roles that focused on physical activity and personal training. Karen earned dual bachelor degrees in Athletic Training as well as Exercise Science from Towson University.

Team: Catalytic Data Resources (CDR)

Functional Area: Team Management

Programs: Bridge to Artificial Intelligence (Bridge2AI); Common Fund Data Ecosystem(CFDE); Gabriella Miller Kids First (Kids First); Human BioMolecular Atlas Program (HuBMAP); Metabolomics

Dr. Kinsinger is the Assistant Director for Catalytic Data Resources in the NIH Common Fund where he helps transform discovery into health through data science. In this role, he provides vision and leadership for complex research programs involving data integration, anatomical atlases with single-cell resolution, genomic sequencing of pediatric cancers and structural birth defects, and biomedical applications of artificial intelligence. Previously, Dr. Kinsinger worked as a Program Director of the Clinical Proteomic Tumor Analysis Consortium (CPTAC) in the National Cancer Institute, where he led operations for data management and biospecimen processing for the proteogenomic characterization program. He oversaw development of the CPTAC Data Coordinating Center and the Proteomic Data Commons, a node of the Cancer Research Data Commons. He also managed the CPTAC biospecimen collection pipeline and served as a scientific mentor for the American Association of Cancer Research’s Scientist Survivor Program for patient advocates. Chris received his Ph.D. in computational chemistry from the University of Minnesota, studying oxidation mechanisms of bioinorganic complexes. He then completed a postdoc at the National Institute of Standards and Technology where he investigated potential energy surfaces of gas-phase dissociation of peptides. Throughout his career, he has sought to promote data sharing and integrate biomedical data from disparate fields of research.

Team: Division of Other Transactions Management (DOTM)

Functional Area: Other Transactions

Programs: Bridge to Artificial Intelligence (Bridge2AI); Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions (SPARC)

Kristen Kreuter joined the Office of Strategic Coordination (OSC) within the Division of Other Transactions Management (DOTM) as an Other Transaction Agreement Specialist in November 2022 as an Other Transaction (OT) Agreements Specialist. Prior to becoming an OT Specialist, Kristen served as a contract and grants management specialist for the Department of Navy. Kristen is certified as a Level II Contracts Professional and brings over 6 years of industry and federal government contract experience. Kristen received her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Maryland and an Associates Degree in Business management from the College of Southern Maryland.

Team: Catalytic Data Resources (CDR)

Functional Area: Program Management

Programs: Common Fund Data Ecosystem(CFDE); Stimulating Peripheral Activity to Relieve Conditions (SPARC)

Dr. Sahana Kukke joined the Catalytic Data Resources Team at the NIH Office of Strategic Coordination (OSC) in 2023. Previously, she was a Program Director at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS). In that role, she managed a portfolio of research and training awards focused on Neural Engineering. She concurrently managed a portfolio of research awards and cooperative agreements on novel neurotechnology development in the NIH BRAIN Initiative. Before becoming a Program Director, Dr. Kukke was an Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering at the Catholic University of America where she taught undergraduate and graduate students, co-managed the Neuroscience Minor program, and directed the Neuromotor Control Lab. Her research experience is in human sensorimotor control and how it is affected by neurological disorders and injury, particularly in childhood. Dr. Kukke holds a B.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Northwestern University, an M.S. in Biomedical Engineering from Case Western Reserve University, and a Ph.D. in Bioengineering from Stanford University. She completed a postdoctoral fellowship at the NIH Clinical Center’s Rehabilitation Medicine Department and the NINDS Human Motor Control section.

Team: Catalytic Data Resources (CDR)

Functional Area: Program Management

Programs: Bridge to Artificial Intelligence (Bridge2AI); Common Fund Data Ecosystem(CFDE)

Dr. Laurel Kuxhaus joined the Office of Strategic Coordination in 2024.  Immediately prior, she was a Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and an affiliate of the Institute for STEM Education at Clarkson University.  Her research was primarily based in orthopaedic and orthopaedic-inspired biomechanics.  She holds undergraduate degrees in Engineering Mechanics and Music from Michigan State University, a Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering from Cornell University, and a PhD in Bioengineering from the University of Pittsburgh. She completed post-doctoral work at Allegheny General Hospital.  From 2018-19, she served as the inaugural ASME Congressional Fellow in Bioengineering.  From 2019-2023, she was a Program Director of the Biomechanics & Mechanobiology program at the National Science Foundation.  During that time, she also served on Detail to NSF’s Research Security Strategy and Policy office.  Dr. Kuxhaus enjoys playing classical music, especially chamber music. 

Team: Transformational Science and Discovery (TSD)

Functional Area: Program Management

Programs: Acute to Chronic Pain Signatures (A2CPS); Extracellular RNA Communication (ExRNA); NIH Director's Early Independence Award (EIA); NIH Director's New Innovator Award (NIA); NIH Director's Pioneer Award (PA); NIH Director's Transformative Research Award (TRA)

Dr. Patricia (Trish) Labosky joined the Office of Strategic Coordination in 2012. She earned her Ph.D. from Wesleyan University studying the differentiation of pluripotent stem cells, and did her postdoctoral training at Vanderbilt University where she furthered her interest in stem cells and early development generating some of the first germ line competent embryonic germ cell (EG cell) lines. After her postdoctoral work, she was an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania from 1997 - 2006. In 2006 she moved to Vanderbilt University where she was a tenured associate professor in the Department of Cell and Developmental Biology and the Center for Stem Cell Biology. She was also a scientific co-director of the Vanderbilt Transgenic Mouse Embryonic Stem Cell Core and the faculty director of postdoctoral affairs. Dr. Labosky's research focused on studying genes that control normal development of the mammalian embryo and mediated cell lineage decisions in multiple disparate stem cells. Her lab was funded by multiple NIH awards and foundation grants and resulted in many publications.

Team: Re-Engineering the Biomedical Workforce (RRE)

Functional Area: Program Management

Programs: Community Partnerships to Advance Science for Society (ComPASS)

LaRoz’ joined the Office of Strategic Coordination (OSC) as a Clinical Trials Specialist in May 2024, specifically the Re-Engineering the Biomedical Workforce (RRE) unit supporting the ComPASS program’s Community-Led, Health Equity Structural Interventions (CHESI) initiative. She graduated with a BS in Psychology and a minor in Chemistry from Towson University and a Master of Science in Clinical Research from Campbell University with a special focus in DEI initiatives. As an experienced Clinical Research professional, LaRoz’ comes with extensive experience and expertise conducting pre-clinical and clinical research in both the private and public sectors, including higher education, the pharmaceutical industry, & government/policy within multiple specialties and institutions. Her main goal is to bring awareness to and promote diversity, inclusion, and equity in clinical research, as well as bring awareness to the field, specifically within underrepresented minority populations. As a CTS, she provides support to CHESI sites developing and maintaining research operations and ensuring timely completion of milestone structure and timeline.

Team: Re-Engineering the Biomedical Workforce (RRE)

Functional Area: Program Management

Programs: Community Partnerships to Advance Science for Society (ComPASS)

Dr. Nikeya “Nike” Macioce joined the Office of Strategic Coordination (OSC) as a Scientific Program Analyst in March 2023. Prior to joining OSC , Nikeya served as a Scientific Management Analyst for the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH). She received her Bachelor of Science in Biology from College of Charleston and her doctorate in Biomedical Science from the University of South Carolina. She completed her post-doctoral training at the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine.

Team: Division of Other Transactions Management (DOTM)

Functional Area: Records Management

Programs: All Common Fund Programs for Other Transaction Activities

Dr. Robyn Martin is a contractor who joined the Office of Strategic Coordination (OSC) within the Division of Other Transactions Management (DOTM) as an Management Analyst in October 2022. Prior to OSC, Robyn served two years as a Program Management Analyst on a contract with NIH’s Office of Behavioral and Social Science Research. Dr. Martin is a Lean Six Sigma Black Belt, and brings over 20 years of experience in health policy and data analysis. Robyn received a Bachelors of Social Work from Appalachian State University, a Masters of Social Science and a Masters of Law and Social Policy from Bryn Mawr College, and a Ph.D. in Public Policy and Administration from Walden University.

Team: Strategic Planning, Evaluation, and Communications (SPEC)

Functional Area: All OSC Activities

Programs: All Common Fund Programs

Cheryl is a contractor with A-Team Solutions, LLC, starting in August 2023. Cheryl worked as an Office Manager/Executive Assistant from 2020 to 2023 with Bold Concepts, Inc (BOLD). Prior to her time at BOLD, Cheryl worked as a contractor at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR) for three years as a Lead Admin Specialist, Space Management & Travel Coordinator supporting WRAIR Command Center. She worked for 12 years at Nasdaq, NASD, now FINRA and worked in several different capacities as an Office Manager, Executive Assistant, Operations Administrator, Legal Administrator, and Project Administrator over the years. She has a Bachelors in Business Management from the University of Texas at El Paso.