The Role of the Federal Liaison in the NHSN

Federal Liaisons are scientists or program officers who:

  1. Are affiliated with the NIH or another relevant public health service agency;
  2. Have expertise in drug abuse research, or in a closely related area; and
  3. Have expertise in research with Hispanic populations (applies only to relevant disciplines).

Federal Liaisons are not NHSN members; rather, they provide critical knowledge and guidance to our national network of research scientist and graduate student members. Some of the activities that Federal Liaisons have engaged in include delivering presentations and workshops at the NHSN annual national scientific conference; teaching graduate students and postdoctoral fellows at the Interdisciplinary Research Training Institute; and serving as ad hoc members of the Conference Planning Subcommittee and/or other working subcommittees.

Federal Liaisons

Albert Avila, Ph.D.
Director, Office of Diversity and Health Disparities
National Institute on Drug Abuse, NIH/DHHS
aavila@nida.nih.gov

Flair Lindsey
NIDA Project Officer
Program Analyst
Special Populations Office
Office of the Director
National Institute on Drug Abuse
flindsey@nida.nih.gov

Judith Arroyo, Ph.D.
NIH Minority Health Health Disparities Coordinator
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism
jarroyo@mail.nih.gov

Mario Cerritelli, Ph.D.
Chief, Career Development and Outreach Branch
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases
cerritem@mail.nih.gov

Rebecca Clark, Ph.D.
Chief, Demographic and Behavioral Sciences Branch
Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
rclark@mail.nih.gov

Jean Lud Cadet, M.D.
Chief, Molecular Neuropsychiatry Branch
National Institute on Drug Abuse
jcadet@intra.nida.nih.gov

Marta De Santis, Ph.D.
Regulatory Affairs Specialist, Division of Pharmacotherapies and Medical Consequences of Drug Abuse
National Institute on Drug Abuse
mdesantis@nida.nih.gov

Joseph Frascella, Ph.D.
Director, Division of Clinical Neurosciences & Behavioural Research
National Institute on Drug Abuse
jfrascel@nida.nih.gov

Courtney Ferrell Aklin, Ph.D.
Program Director
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
courtney.ferrell@nih.gov

Steve Gust, Ph.D.
Director, NIDA International Program
Office of Science Policy & Communications
National Institute on Drug Abuse
ipdirector@nida.nih.gov

Alfonso Latoni, Ph.D.
Deputy Chief, Scientific Review Branch
National Institute on Aging
alfonso.latoni@nih.gov

Raúl Mandler, M.D.
Senior Medical Officer, Center for Clinical Trials Network
National Institute on Drug Abuse
mandlerr@mail.nih.gov

Jacques Normand, Ph.D.
Director, AIDS Research Program
National Institute on Drug Abuse
jnormand@nida.nih.gov

Ofelia Olivero, Ph.D.
Director, Laboratory of Cancer Biology and Genetics
National Cancer Institute
oliveroo@mail.nih.gov

LeShawndra Price, Ph.D.
Office for Research on Disparities and Global Mental Health
lprice@mail.nih.gov

Carmen Rosa, M.S.
Regulatory Affairs Specialist
National Institute on Drug Abuse
crosa@nida.nih.gov

Nora Salgado
Organizational & Workforce Development Manager
National Eye Institute
salgadon@nei.nih.gov

Michael Sesma, Ph.D.
Health Scientist Administrator, Division of Developmental Translational Research
National Institute of Mental Health
msesma@mail.nih.gov

Hinda Zlotnik, Ph.D.
Chief, MBRS Branch
Division of Minority Opportunities in Research (MORE)
zlotnikh@nigms.nih.gov