The Office of Strategic Planning, Legislation and Scientific Policy at the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities has added three staffers.

Dr. Shelli Avenevoli has been named deputy director of NIMH.

Lois Whidden Kochanski, 93, who served for many years as executive director of the Foundation for Advanced Education in the Sciences, Inc., died Jan. 12 in Bethesda.

As Dr. Christopher Platt—who joined NIDCD as a program director in 2003 and retired at the end of December—will tell you, all species of fish do not navigate through their liquid habitat in the same way.

Donna A. Brooks, executive officer at NIMHD, retired recently after four decades of service. “I have had an incredible journey at the National Institutes of Health with many great people for almost 43 years," she said.

Dr. Delia Olufokunbi Sam has been named chief of the population sciences and epidemiology integrated review group at the Center for Scientific Review.

NIGMS recently added three new program directors to its scientific staff: Dr. Kenneth Gibbs, Dr. Irina Krasnova and Dr. Amanda Melillo.

Five new members joined the National Advisory Child Health and Human Development Council.

In March, Dr. Amy Donahue retired from her dual roles as deputy director of the institute’s Division of Scientific Programs and coordinator of the Hearing and Balance/Vestibular Sciences Program.

Dr. Alexis Simpkins, a clinical vascular neurology fellow in the Stroke Branch of the NINDS Division of Intramural Research, recently won the first prize Progress and Innovation Award from the journal Stroke.