Schmidt Named Director of NCCIH Extramural Activities Division
Dr. Martina Schmidt recently became the new director of NCCIH’s Division of Extramural Activities (DEA). In that capacity, she plans, leads and directs the activities of DEA scientists and technical support personnel to ensure quality, objectivity and accountability in the peer-review and grants-management processes for NCCIH grants and contracts. She also directs and coordinates activities to evaluate the overall performance of the center’s grant-review and grants-management processes, and the allocation of resources. The DEA director also serves as executive secretary of NCCIH’s national advisory council. Schmidt succeeds Dr. Partap Khalsa, who retired in December 2022.
Schmidt was director of the NCCIH Office of Scientific Review (OSR) from 2016 to 2022, having joined the center in 2005 as a scientific review officer (SRO). She holds a Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Wuerzburg, Germany, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in the laboratory of Dr. Linda Wolff, NCI. Schmidt’s focus as a fellow was on the proto-oncogene c-Myb and its involvement in myeloid leukemogenesis. She also served as an SRO intern in the oncology internal review group of CSR.
“I am thrilled to announce Dr. Schmidt’s appointment,” said NCCIH Director Dr. Helene Langevin. “She is an excellent choice for the role of DEA director, with 20 years’ experience in virtually all aspects of the division’s work and deep knowledge of research in complementary and integrative health.”
The new acting director of OSR is Dr. Jessica McKlveen, who joined NCCIH in 2018 as an SRO and, in 2022, was promoted to OSR deputy director and subsequently named acting director.