Jorgenson Appointed Associate Director for Science Policy
Dr. Lyric Jorgenson was appointed as NIH associate director for science policy and director of the NIH Office of Science Policy (OSP). She had been serving in the role in an acting capacity since April 2021. She began her official tenure in December.
During Jorgenson’s tenure as acting director, she led key NIH policy initiatives to transform clinical research to meet health challenges, promote and protect the security of the biomedical research enterprise and maximize responsible data sharing to translate research into products that improve the health of all Americans.
Between 2017-2021, Jorgenson served as OSP deputy director. Prior to that she served as deputy executive director of the White House Cancer Moonshot Task Force in the Office of the Vice President in the Obama administration, where she developed a cancer roadmap for the nation and advised the Vice President on strategies and investments to accelerate progress in cancer prevention, diagnosis and treatment. She also led the development of many White House-initiated policy processes, including developing new NIH policies to bolster scientific integrity, public access to research publications and biosecurity and biosafety practices.
Jorgenson first joined NIH as an AAAS science and technology fellow and throughout her tenure has played a leading role in development of high-impact science and policy initiatives such as the NIH Brain Research through Advancing Innovative Neurotechnologies Initiative and establishment of the National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences. She earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Denison University and a doctorate degree from the Graduate Program for Neuroscience at the University of Minnesota-Twin Cities, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship with the Institute of Child Development at the University of Minnesota.