NIH’s COSWD Bernard Retires

Dr. Marie Bernard

NIH Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity (COSWD) Dr. Marie Bernard retired on Dec. 31, after 34 years of federal service, including 16 at NIH.

In her role, she led NIH’s effort to diversify the biomedical research workforce by developing a vision and comprehensive strategy to expand recruitment and retention and promote inclusiveness and equity throughout the biomedical and behavioral science research ecosystem.

“Dr. Bernard has been an exemplar for fostering an equitable workplace at NIH and at the institutions we fund,” said NIH Director Dr. Monica Bertagnolli. “Her passion and dedication for bringing together diverse perspectives to drive transformative change and achieve scientific excellence will be greatly missed.”

In 2020, former NIH Director Dr. Francis Collins appointed Bernard acting COSWD following the retirement of Dr. Hannah Valantine, who served as NIH’s first-ever COSWD. The position was created after the Biomedical Research Workforce Diversity Working Group of the Advisory Committee to the Director called for a new position entirely dedicated to diversity. After a nationwide search, Bernard was named to the position permanently in 2021.

“It’s been great to have been COSWD. It’s pulled together my experiences as an academic researcher and an NIH administrator,” Bernard said. “I’m most proud of the people I’ve had an opportunity to work with—from my COSWD team to the allies who are ensuring we have a broadening of perspectives. We established excellent projects that should broaden participation in science. I am particularly pleased with the Engagement and Access for Research Active Institutions initiative. By focusing on institutions that have not received much NIH funding, the initiative should help ensure more perspectives and scientific foci in NIH funded research – imperative for moving the health of our nation forward.

Bernard with Dr. Francis Collins

Photo:  Chia-Chi Charlie Chang

Scientists should expose themselves to different points of view to reduce blind spots in their research. Colleagues from different backgrounds are going to approach problems from different perspectives, Bernard noted. Many times, their solutions wouldn’t occur to a person who does not have their lived experiences.

Both of Bernard’s parents were practicing physicians in Oklahoma. Growing up, she had no plans to follow in their footsteps. During her undergraduate studies at Bryn Mawr College, she realized she had a talent for chemistry and enrolled in medical school at the University of Pennsylvania.

She completed her residency training and served as chief resident at Temple University Hospital and School of Medicine. Bernard then became a faculty member in the General Internal Medicine Section at the same university. During her time there, she treated young, healthy patients with ailments such as upper respiratory and urinary tract infections.

Bernard found, though, that she preferred treating older patients. “Whenever I saw an older adult, I felt really energized, because it challenged my skills,” she explained. “What’s intriguing to me is how complicated these cases are. You must think not only about the disease they’re presenting with, but also their genetics, functional status, social support system, lifestyle habits and exposures.”

Shortly after starting at Temple, her boss asked her to write a grant application in geriatrics. To do so, Bernard had to speak with Bernice Parlak, the head of the Pennsylvania Geriatric Education Center. Parlak told Bernard, “I will give you information if you participate in our training program,” which was a year-long training program prior to widely available certified geriatrics training programs.

“It was an epiphany,” she said. “There’s so much more to geriatrics than hypertension, diabetes and heart disease.”

After completing this training experience, Bernard moved back home to become a faculty member at the University of Oklahoma (OU) College of Medicine. While there, NIH funding supported her research on the nutrition and function of older adults before they were hospitalized with a serious illness. She also was the founding chair of the Donald W. Reynolds Department of Geriatric Medicine at the OU College of Medicine—the third such department in the United States.

A decade later, she began thinking of the next step in her career. A couple of colleagues who previously worked at NIH encouraged Bernard to apply for the deputy director position at the National Institute on Aging (NIA). She was hired in 2008.

“NIA Director Dr. Richard Hodes was a great leader and mentor. He gave me agency to pursue things that were of interest,” said Bernard. “When I started, I told him I was interested in smoothing the pathway for future scientists and ensuring there’s a broad variety of perspectives that are brought forward.”

As deputy director, Bernard co-chaired the Inclusion Governance Committee, which ensured the appropriate inclusion of individuals in clinical studies, including by sex, race, ethnicity and age. Her efforts led to the development of the Inclusion Across the Lifespan Policy.

She also led the Women of Color Committee of the NIH Working Group on Women in Biomedical Careers. In addition, Bernard helped to develop the NIA Health Disparities Research Framework, which outlines four key levels of analysis related to disparities research–environmental, socio-cultural, behavioral and biological.

“I got a chance to understand how NIH works,” she said. “There’s no way I could’ve done that had I stayed in Oklahoma.”

“The path to becoming a successful, NIH-funded scientist is not direct,” she said. “Instead, it’s a winding path full of setbacks. Aspiring researchers must have a clear vision of what they want to accomplish and persevere toward that when faced with adversity.”

“It’s been a privilege to work at NIH,” Bernard concluded. “I’m in the middle of all the knowledge generation. If I didn’t have a day job, I could spend all day listening to wonderful lectures by Nobel laureates and near laureates. My colleagues are hardworking and highly motivated. They could work elsewhere for more money, but they choose to work here.”