Dr. Yvonne T. Maddox to serve as Acting Director of NIMHD

Following my announcement last week of Dr. John Ruffin’s retirement as the Director of the National Institute on Minority Health and Health Disparities (NIMHD), I am pleased to announce the appointment of Yvonne T. Maddox, Ph.D., as Acting Director of the Institute, effective April 1, 2014. Dr. Maddox is currently the Deputy Director of the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD). In addition to advising the NICHD director on budget matters and institute programs, Dr. Maddox also leads several committees to advance medical research for affected communities to improve their health. Among her many DHHS and NIH-wide committees and working group leadership activities, she chairs the Federal SIDS/Sudden Unexpected Infant Death Working Group, the NIH Down Syndrome Consortium (an international public-private partnership), served as Executive Director of the DHHS Cancer Health Disparities Progress Review Group, and co-chaired the DHHS Initiative to Reduce Infant Mortality in Minority Communities. She served as the Acting Deputy Director of the NIH from January 2000–June 2002 and co-chaired the first NIH Strategic Plan to “Reduce and Ultimately Eliminate Health Disparities.” As a cardiovascular physiologist, Dr. Maddox also has served in several scientific roles at the NIH and has authored numerous scientific papers and review articles. She has received many honors and awards, including the Presidential Distinguished Executive Rank Award, Presidential Meritorious Executive Rank Award, DHHS Career Achievement Award, Public Health Service Special Recognition Award, DHHS Secretary’s Award, NIH Director’s Award, National Down Syndrome Society Champion of Change Award, and Research Down Syndrome Foundation Light the Way Award. Her scientific work has been recognized by Morehouse School of Medicine with a HeLa Leadership Award for Excellence in Reproductive Medicine.

Francis S. Collins, M.D., Ph.D.
NIH Director