Donna J Dean, PhD, deputy director of the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering (NIBIB), one of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), announced that she would leave her position to become senior scholar in residence at the National Academy of Engineering (NAE). In her new capacity, she will work with the National Academies, Federal agencies, academic institutions, and the private sector on issues at the interface of engineering and the life and health sciences. She will join the NAE in January 2004.

"It was my great privilege to work with a stellar group of staff who built a firm foundation for NIBIB's future. I will always be proud of the pivotal role that I played in creating a new institute at NIH that has unlimited potential to foster new arenas of research. I have never had so much fun in my career, nor worked so hard, as in the past three years. With supportive colleagues across the NIH, in the institute, and in the extramural community, it truly was a stimulating and exciting endeavor," said Dr. Dean.

During her tenure as the NIBIB deputy director, Dr Dean played a lead role in planning, directing, and managing the programs and resources of the institute, and helped promote the efforts to expand the institute's collaborations, both inside the NIH and with outside organizations.

Prior to her September 2002 appointment as deputy director, Dr. Dean served as the NIBIB acting director during the critical formation and development stages of the new Institute from its beginnings in January 2001, in addition to serving as the senior scientific advisor to the NIH acting director, Dr Ruth Kirschstein. Under her leadership, work ensued to define the Institute's mission, develop an implementation document for approval by the DHHS secretary, formulate enabling legislation for transfer of funds, and prepare the appropriation requests and budget justifications for fiscal years 2002 and 2003. She was instrumental in efforts to fill several key managerial and scientific staff positions, and in the establishment of the National Advisory Council for Biomedical Imaging and Engineering.

While serving as the senior scientific advisor to the NIH acting director, Dr Dean served as the NIH liaison to the Congressionally mandated Commission on the Advancement of Women, Minorities, and Persons with Disabilities in Science, Engineering and Technology Development, co-chaired (with the Surgeon General) the DHHS Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Coordinating Committee, and was an active and contributing member of the Working Group on Science and Technology of the President's Interagency Council on Women. Before joining the Office of the Director, Dr. Dean served fifteen years with the Center for Scientific Review (CSR) and its predecessor organization, the Division of Research Grants, as the Director of the Division of Physiological Systems, and in other management positions within CSR.

A graduate of Berea College (Kentucky) with an undergraduate degree in Chemistry, Dr. Dean earned her Ph.D. in Biochemistry from Duke University. She spent time as a visiting research fellow in the Department of Biology at Princeton University, as a Senior Staff Fellow (Research Chemist) in the Clinical Endocrinology Branch, Division of Intramural Research at the National Institute of Arthritis, Metabolic Diseases and Diabetes at NIH, and as a Consumer Safety Officer with the Food and Drug Administration.