Tara A. Schwetz, Ph.D.

Tara A. Schwetz, Ph.D. is the Associate Deputy Director, Office of the Director (OD), National Institutes of Health (NIH). Prior to assuming this role, Dr. Schwetz was the Chief of the Strategic Planning and Evaluation Branch in the Office of the Director at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID). During her tenure at NIAID, she led several efforts, including conducting an evaluation of the Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance to facilitate evidence-based decision-making and developing the NIAID Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis Research.Previously, Dr. Schwetz served as the Senior Advisor to the Principal Deputy Director of NIH, where she coordinated efforts such as Reimagine HHS, the NIH rigor and reproducibility activities, and the NIH-Wide Strategic Plan. Dr. Schwetz also served in the dual role of the NIH Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes Interim Associate Program Director and the Special Assistant to the DEPD. Prior to these roles, she was a Health Science Policy Analyst at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, where she helped develop the National Pain Strategy. Dr. Schwetz started her career at NIH as an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at the National Institute of Nursing Research. She received a BS in biochemistry with honors from Florida State University and a PhD in biophysics from the University of South Florida, followed by a postdoctoral fellowship at Vanderbilt University. Dr. Schwetz has received numerous awards, including fellowships from the American Cancer Society, the American Heart Association, and NIH.