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Marie A. Bernard '72 Named NIH Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity

June 22, 2021
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Marie A. Bernard '72 has been named the National Institutes of Health's next Chief Officer for Scientific Workforce Diversity (COSWD). She will lead NIH鈥檚 effort to promote diversity, inclusiveness, and equity throughout the biomedical research enterprise.

Bernard has served as the acting COSWD since October 2020, and has also served as the deputy director of the National Institute on Aging (NIA) since October 2008.

From the announcing her appointment:

"Dr. Bernard has played key leadership roles in a broad variety of NIH activities to further diversity, including serving as a co-chair of the UNITE initiative, and leading the development of the NIA Health Disparities Research Framework, which guides NIA research in this area. She also directed and supervised the NIA Office of Special Populations, which leads health disparities research and training for scientists from diverse backgrounds within NIA."

"She is a founding member of the Diversity Working Group and NIH Equity Committee, and co-chair of the NIH Inclusion Governance Committee, which oversees inclusion in clinical research by sex/gender, race/ethnicity, and age. Dr. Bernard also leads the Women of Color Committee of the Working Group on Women in Biomedical Careers, which established the Women of Color Research Network. She has worked to recruit an increasing number of scientists who are women of color as potential speakers for the NIH Wednesday Afternoon Lecture Series. Dr. Bernard has been recognized for her leadership with multiple awards, including the 2020 NIH Director鈥檚 Award for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion."


 

鈥淚 am very grateful for my Bryn Mawr education, as it led me to my current role. My eyes were opened to the wonders of science in Ernst Berliner鈥檚 introductory chemistry class. The pursuit of science, and opening opportunities in the field to others, has been my passion since.鈥 鈥擬arie A. Bernard '72.


 

Bernard majored in chemistry at Bryn Mawr and received her M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania.

Department of Chemistry

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