The National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR) has appointed Dr. Raymond Dionne, D.D.S., Ph.D., as the Scientific Director of its Division of Intramural Research. As Scientific Director, Dr. Dionne will lead the bio-behavioral research program conducted by NINR on the NIH campus. The research studies examine biological, experiential and behavioral factors associated with clinical symptoms.

Dr. Dionne comes to NINR from the National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) where he served as Chief, Pain and Neurosensory Mechanism Branch. Dionne earned a D.D.S. from the Georgetown University School of Dentistry, Washington, D.C. and a Ph.D. in Pharmacology from the Medical College of Virginia, Richmond. Dr. Dionne is nationally recognized for his research on pain management, specifically, variability in pain sensitivity. He has published more than 100 scientific manuscripts relating to his work on pain and pain control.

In his new role, Dr. Dionne will lead a developing group of independent principal investigators conducting research in the basic, behavioral, and clinical sciences relevant to NINR’s mission and will help chart the future of a growing nursing and bio-behavioral research community across the NIH. The intramural program contributes to nursing science through the investigation of biobehavioral mechanisms associated with the symptoms of acute and chronic illness.

“We are excited that Dr. Dionne will lead our Intramural program,” said Dr. Patricia A. Grady, Director, NINR. “He is an accomplished scientist, and his energy and experience in conducting clinical research and mentoring young investigators will be instrumental in advancing NINR’s intramural program,” Dr. Grady added.

The primary mission of the NINR, one of 27 Institutes and Centers at the National Institutes of Health, is to support clinical and basic research and establish a scientific basis for the care of individuals across the life span. For additional information, visit the NINR Web site at http://ninr.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 http://www.nih.gov.