Heather G. Miller, Ph.D., M.F.S., was selected as Director for the Office of Policy, Planning, and Evaluation within the National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM), at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Dr. Miller will serve as senior advisor to NCCAM’s director on science, science policy, and other strategic issues, as well as oversee the planning, evaluation, and reporting activities for the Center.

Dr. Miller joined NCCAM in 2003, when she was appointed Senior Advisor for Women’s Health. Prior to that, she was the senior advisor to the Deputy Director of Extramural Research in the Office of the Director, NIH. At NIH, she also served as the AIDS coordinator for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism and as a Program Officer in the Sexually Transmitted Diseases Branch at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases.

“I am delighted that Dr. Miller has assumed this critical leadership role at NCCAM. It offers the opportunity to plan the Center’s investments across the many complex areas of complementary and alternative medicine research, to critically appraise the success of those investments, and to report their results to our many stakeholders,” said Stephen E. Straus, NCCAM Director. “Her experience, skill, and clear understanding of the responsibilities of this office will be essential in her new position within the Center.”

Before moving to NIH, Dr. Miller was the Director of the Health and Behavior Measurement Program at the Research Triangle Institute in Research Triangle Park, NC, where she conducted NIH-supported research and served on several NIH review groups. She also worked at the National Academies at the Institute of Medicine and at the National Academy of Sciences where she wrote two book-length reports on AIDS.

Dr. Miller has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and written several book chapters on AIDS and measurement of health and risk-associated behaviors. She received her bachelor’s degree in sociology from Connecticut College and earned both a master’s in forensic science and a doctorate in medical sociology and research methods from the George Washington University.

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.

The National Institutes of Health (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. It is the primary federal agency for conducting and supporting basic, clinical and translational medical research, and it investigates the causes, treatments, and cures for both common and rare diseases. For more information about NIH and its programs, visit www.nih.gov.