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About the Acting NIMH Director - National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)
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Learn more about NIMH research areas, policies, resources, and initiatives.</p> </a> </div> </div> <div class="menu_flexbox_span6"> <div class="menu_inner"> <a class="megamenu_nav_i" href="/research/research-conducted-at-nimh"> <h2>Research Conducted at NIMH (Intramural Research Program)</h2> <p>The Division of Intramural Research Programs (IRP) is the internal research division of the NIMH. Over 40 research groups conduct basic neuroscience research and clinical investigations of mental illnesses, brain function, and behavior at the NIH campus in Bethesda, Maryland. Learn more about research conducted at NIMH.</p> </a> </div> </div> <div class="menu_flexbox_span6"> <div class="menu_inner"> <a class="megamenu_nav_i" href="/research/priority-research-areas"> <h2>Priority Research Areas</h2> <p>Learn about NIMH priority areas for research and funding that have the potential to improve mental health care over the short, medium, and long term.</p> </a> </div> </div> <div class="menu_flexbox_span6"> <div class="menu_inner"> <a class="megamenu_nav_i" href="/research/research-funded-by-nimh/research-resources"> <h2>Resources for Researchers</h2> <p>Information about resources such as data, tissue, model organisms and imaging resources to support the NIMH research community.</p> </a> </div> </div> </div> <div id="funding-megamenu" class="megamenu"> <div class="menu_flexbox_span3"> <div class="menu_inner"> <a class="megamenu_nav_i" href="/funding/opportunities-announcements"> <h2>Opportunities & Announcements</h2> <p>Find all NIMH and cross-NIH funding 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href="/funding/opportunities-announcements/clinical-trials-foas">Support for Clinical Trials at NIMH</a></p> </section> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="news-megamenu" class="megamenu"> <div class="menu_flexbox_span4"> <div class="menu_inner"> <a class="megamenu_nav_i" href="/news/science-updates"> <h2>Science Updates</h2> <p>List of NIMH science updates including press releases, research highlights, and institute announcements.</p> </a> </div> </div> <div class="menu_flexbox_span4"> <div class="menu_inner"> <a class="megamenu_nav_i" href="/news/events"> <h2>Meetings and Events</h2> <p>Details about upcoming events—including meetings, conferences, workshops, lectures, webinars, and chats—sponsored by NIMH.</p> </a> </div> </div> <div class="menu_flexbox_span4"> <div class="menu_inner"> <a class="megamenu_nav_i" href="/news/media"> <h2>Multimedia</h2> <p>NIMH videos and podcasts featuring science news, lecture series, meetings, seminars, and special events.</p> </a> </div> </div> <div class="menu_flexbox_span4"> <div class="menu_inner"> <a class="megamenu_nav_i" href="/news/social-media"> <h2>Social Media</h2> <p>The latest information and resources on mental disorders shared on X, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, and Instagram.</p> </a> </div> </div> <div class="menu_flexbox_span4"> <div class="menu_inner"> <a class="megamenu_nav_i" href="/news/press-resources"> <h2>Press Resources</h2> <p>Information about NIMH, research results, summaries of scientific meetings, and mental health resources.</p> </a> </div> </div> <div class="menu_flexbox_span4"> <div class="menu_inner"> <a class="megamenu_nav_i" href="/news/email-updates"> <h2>Email Updates</h2> <p>Updates about mental health topics, including NIMH news, upcoming events, mental disorders, funding opportunities, and research.</p> </a> </div> </div> <div class="menu_flexbox_span4"> <div class="menu_inner"> <a class="megamenu_nav_i" href="/news/innovation-speaker-series"> <h2>Innovation Speaker Series</h2> <p>An annual lecture series dedicated to innovation, invention, and scientific discovery.</p> </a> </div> </div> <div class="menu_flexbox_span4"> <div class="menu_inner_extra"> <div class="menu_inner_pad"> <h3>Contact the Press Office</h3> <p>301-443-4536</p> <p><a class="single-link" href="mailto:NIMHpress@nih.gov">NIMHpress@nih.gov</a></p> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="about-megamenu" class="megamenu"> <div class="menu_flexbox_span3"> <div class="menu_inner"> <a class="megamenu_nav_i" href="/about/director"> <h2>About the Acting NIMH Director</h2> <p>Learn more about the Acting Director of the NIMH, Shelli Avenevoli, Ph.D.</p> </a> </div> </div> <div class="menu_flexbox_span3"> <div class="menu_inner"> <a class="megamenu_nav_i" href="/about/advisory-boards-and-groups"> <h2>Advisory Boards and Groups</h2> <p>Read about the boards and groups that advise and provide guidance to the Institute.</p> </a> </div> </div> <div class="menu_flexbox_span3"> <div class="menu_inner"> <a 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<div id="wrapper" class="pt-3 pt-sm-3 pt-md-3 pt-lg-0"> <div class="container pt-5 pt-sm-5 pt-md-5 pt-lg-0"> <div class="row"><div class="col-md-12 hidden-xs"><div class="breadcrumbs"><nav id="breadcrumbs" class="breadcrumbs__nav" aria-label="breadcrumb links" data-dirids="2288 2344"><a href="/" data-dirlevel="0">Home</a> > <a href="/about" data-refid="7558" data-dirlevel="1" data-dirid="2288" >About NIMH</a> > <span data-refid="7459" data-dirlevel="2" data-dirid="2344" >About the Acting NIMH Director</span></nav></div></div></div> <div id="main_container"> <section class="share_links_wrap"> <div class="share_links_wrap_inner"> <h6 class="share_links_header">Share Page</h6> <div class="share_links"> <a href="https://www.facebook.com/dialog/share?app_id=1086499805165807&display=popup&href=https://www.nimh.nih.gov%2Fabout%2Fdirector&redirect_uri=https://www.nimh.nih.gov%2Fabout%2Fdirector" rel="external noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" class="external-disclaimer" aria-label="Share 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block-page-title-block"> <h1 class="splashBanner__title" >About the Acting NIMH Director</h1> </div> <div id="block-nimhtheme-content" class="block block-system block-system-main-block"> <!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/REC-html40/loose.dtd"> <html><body><div data-history-node-id="7459" class="node node--type-basic-page node--view-mode-full clearfix"> <div class="node__content clearfix"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><div class="row"><div class="col-md-3"><div class="director-profile"><article class="media media--type-image media--view-mode-default"> <span class="field field--name-field-media-image field--type-image field--label-hidden field__item"> <img loading="lazy" src="/sites/default/files/images/Shelli-Avenevoli.jpg" width="196" height="274" alt="Shelli Avenevoli, Ph.D., Deputy Director of NIMH"> </span> </article> </div></div><div class="col-md-9"><div class="director-title"><h2>Shelli Avenevoli, Ph.D.</h2><p>Shelli Avenevoli, Ph.D., is the Acting Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the lead federal agency for research on mental disorders. She oversees an extensive research portfolio of basic and clinical research that seeks to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses, paving the way for prevention, recovery, and cure.</p></div></div></div><hr><blockquote><p>Helping the public understand what we do and why we do it provides hope for a better future for those living with mental illnesses.</p></blockquote><p>Dr. Avenevoli came to NIH in 2001, joining the NIMH Intramural Research Program as a staff scientist. She was a co-investigator on several studies, including the National Comorbidity Survey–Adolescent Study, which aimed to gather information about the prevalence and course of mental disorders in children and adolescents. She moved to NIMH’s extramural program in 2005, ultimately becoming chief of the Developmental Trajectories of Mental Disorders Branch. While there, she led the reorienting of NIMH’s pediatric translational research portfolio towards an emphasis on brain and behavioral development, trajectories of mental illnesses, and the identification of early biological or behavioral markers of risk and intervention. She developed several research programs focused on depression, anxiety, and bipolar disorder in youth and chronic irritability in children.</p><div class="collapse" id="readDirectorBio"><div><p>Dr. Avenevoli was appointed deputy director of NIMH in 2017. In this role, she played a pivotal part in defining the institute's research priorities, policies, and strategic initiatives and oversaw various aspects of NIMH's operations, including the development and implementation of research programs on youth development, mental health, and suicide prevention.</p><p>Dr. Avenevoli contributed significantly to several large-scale NIH initiatives, including the <a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/about/strategic-planning-reports">NIMH Strategic Plan</a>, <a href="https://www.nimh.nih.gov/research/research-funded-by-nimh/research-initiatives/adolescent-brain-cognitive-developmentsm-study-abcd-studyr">Adolescent Brain Cognitive Development (ABCD) Study</a>, <a href="https://heal.nih.gov/research/infants-and-children/healthy-brain" rel="external">HEALthy Brain and Child Development (HBCD) Study , Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Study <i class="fa-solid fa-arrow-up-right-from-square ext-link-icon"></i></a>, and <a href="https://allofus.nih.gov/" rel="external"><em>All of Us </em>Research Program <i class="fa-solid fa-arrow-up-right-from-square ext-link-icon"></i></a>.</p><p>Following the departure of former Director <a href="https://www.nih.gov/about-nih/who-we-are/nih-director/statements/statement-departure-national-institute-mental-health-director-dr-joshua-gordon" rel="external">Joshua A. Gordon, M.D., Ph.D. <i class="fa-solid fa-arrow-up-right-from-square ext-link-icon"></i></a>, in June 2024, Dr. Avenevoli was named Acting NIMH Director. She will continue to serve in this role while NIH conducts a national search for a replacement.</p></div></div><p aria-controls="readMoreBio" aria-expanded="false" data-toggle="collapse" href="#readDirectorBio" id="readDirectorBioExpand"><span class="toggle-text"><strong>Read Dr. Avenevoli’s Full Biography</strong></span></p></div> <div data-fieldname="field_page_javascript_bottom"> <style>blockquote{ float: right; font-size: 1.0em; width: 40%; margin: 0 0 1em 10px; font-family: Open Sans; font-style: italic; color: #555555; padding: 1em 25px 1em 35px; border-left: 8px solid #6C3A77; line-height: 1.6; position: relative; } blockquote p:first-child::before{ font-family: Arial; content: "\201C"; color: #6C3A77; font-size: 4em; position: absolute; left: -30px; top: 5px; } blockquote p{ position:relative; display:inline; } blockquote p:first-child::after{ font-family: Arial; content: "\201D"; color: #6C3A77; font-size: 4em; line-height: 0; position: absolute; bottom:-15px; } blockquote span{ display: block; font-weight: bold; margin-top: 1em; font-style: normal; } @media (min-width: 0px) and (max-width: 991px){ blockquote{ float: none; width: 100%; margin: 0 0 1em 0px; } }</style> </div> </div> </div> </body></html> </div> </div> </article> </main> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <footer id="footer-contact"> <div class="footer-container container"> <div> <div id="block-contactusfooter" class="block block-block-content block-block-contentc7a9e7bc-56ff-41ac-8678-60f3a9a54eeb"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><h2>NIMH Information Resource Center</h2><div><span class="small">Available in English and español</span></div><div class="row"><div class="col-xl-6 col-lg-6 col-md-6 col-sm-6 col-xs-12"><p class="phone"><em><i class="fas fa-phone" aria-hidden="true"> </i></em> <strong>Phone: </strong> <a href="tel:1-866-615-6464">1-866-615-6464</a> <br><em><i class="far fa-comments" aria-hidden="true"> </i></em> <strong>Live Online Chat: </strong> <a href="https://infocenter.nimh.nih.gov">Talk to a representative</a> <br><em><i class="far fa-envelope" aria-hidden="true"> </i></em> <strong>Email: </strong> <a href="mailto:nimhinfo@nih.gov">nimhinfo@nih.gov</a> <br><em><i class="far fa-clock" aria-hidden="true"> </i></em><strong>Hours:</strong> 8:30 a.m. – 5 p.m. ET, M-F</p></div><div class="col-xl-6 col-lg-6 col-md-6 col-sm-6 col-xs-12"><p><strong>Mail: </strong> National Institute of Mental Health <br>Office of Science Policy, Planning, and Communications <br>6001 Executive Boulevard, MSC 9663 <br>Bethesda, MD 20892-9663</p></div></div></div> </div> <div id="block-nimhtheme-linkdisclaimer" class="block block-block-content block-block-content43e6eaa7-a06a-4a06-9eff-b06d3dded90d"> <div class="field field--name-body field--type-text-with-summary field--label-hidden field__item"><div id="footer-disclaimer"><h2>Disclaimer</h2><p>We link to external websites for informational purposes only, but we do not endorse or guarantee their accuracy. 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