News Release

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Dr. Dale Birkle Dreer Named Chief of NCCAM’s Office of Scientific Review

Dale Birkle Dreer, Ph.D., was recently appointed chief of the Office of Scientific Review (OSR) at the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), a component of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). The Office is responsible for the peer review of all grant applications assigned to NCCAM.

In her new role, Dr. Dreer will oversee the activities of scientists and technical support personnel within the Office to ensure continued quality in the grants and contracts peer review process. She will also direct and coordinate activities to evaluate the overall performance of NCCAM’s grant review processes and allocation of resources.

"NCCAM is committed to building the evidence base surrounding complementary and alternative medicine using only the highest standards," said Josephine P. Briggs, M.D., NCCAM director. "Dr. Dreer brings a wealth of scientific and investigative knowledge to this position, and I am confident that her dedication to quality research practices will prove invaluable to our mission."

Dr. Dreer’s scientific expertise focuses on the impact of the physical and psychological environment on brain structure and function, the effects of drugs on the brain and cardiovascular system, biochemical responses to environmental insults, and mechanisms for adaptation. She has authored more than 40 research papers and eight book chapters and scientific reviews.

Dr. Dreer began her NIH career in NCCAM’s OSR in 2001 as a scientific review officer. Prior to joining NIH, she was a professor in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology at West Virginia University. Dr. Dreer received her bachelor’s degree in general sciences from Bridgewater College in Bridgewater, VA, and earned her doctorate degree in pharmacology from the Medical College of Virginia-Virginia Commonwealth University Richmond, VA.

Dr. Dreer officially assumed her position on February 2, 2009.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine’s mission is to explore complementary and alternative medical practices in the context of rigorous science, train CAM researchers, and disseminate authoritative information to the public and professionals. For additional information, call NCCAM’s Clearinghouse toll free at 1-888-644-6226, or visit the NCCAM Web site at nccam.nih.gov. NCCAM 1999 – 2009: Celebrating 10 years of rigorous research. 

About the National Institutes of Health (NIH): NIH, the nation's medical research agency, includes 27 Institutes and Centers and is a component of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. NIH is the primary federal agency conducting and supporting basic, clinical, and translational medical research, and is investigating the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.

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