NIH Kids First Working Group

The Gabriella Kids First Program was initiated in response to the 2014 Gabriella Miller Kids First Research Act. The program is overseen by the Kids First Working Group and Leadership Team with input from external scientific advisors.

Working Group Members - Institutions

Four Institutes that lead the Kids First Working Group:

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Identifies childhood cancer priorities, facilitates GDC interaction, contributes data sharing expertise

National Human Genome Institute (NHGRI)

Contributes sequencing expertise and support

National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Contributes bioinformatics expertise, manages Data Resource grant, handles process to identify cohorts for sequencing

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Coordinates Working Group, tracks sequencing pipeline, provides cohort investigator support, runs daily operations

11 Other Participating Institutes and Centers

Co-Chairs

Diana W. Bianchi, M.D.

Director

National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Lawrence Brody, Ph.D.

Division Director

National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)

Gary H. Gibbons, M.D.

Director

National Heart Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Douglas Lowy, M.D.

Deputy Director​

National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Leadership Group

James N. Coulombe, Ph.D.

Program Officer and Working Group Coordinator
Developmental Biology and Structural Variation Branch (DBSVB)
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Jaime M. Guidry Auvil, Ph.D.

Program Officer
Genomic Program Administrator
National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Adam Felsenfeld, Ph.D.

Program Officer
Division of Genome Sciences
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)

Lu Wang, Ph.D.

Program Officer
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)

Jonathan R. Kaltman, M.D.

Medical Officer
Heart Development and Structural Diseases Branch
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Malcolm A. Smith, M.D., Ph.D.

Medical Officer
Cancer Therapy Evaluation Program
National Cancer Institute (NCI)

Maarten Leerkes, Ph.D.

Program Officer
Division of Cardiovascular Sciences/Heart Development and Structural Diseases (HDSD)
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Valerie Cotton [C]

Program Manager and Contact
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Danielle Daee, Ph.D.

Program Officer
Epidemiology and Genomics Research Program (EGRP)
National Cancer Institute (NCI)

NIH Office of Strategic Coordination Representation

Concepcion Nierras, Ph.D.

Program Leader
Office of Strategic Coordination
Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives.
Office of the Director.
National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Michael Steenstra

Communications Specialist (Operations)
Office of Strategic Coordination
Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives.
Office of the Director.
National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Danyelle Winchester

Health Specialist
Office of Strategic Coordination
Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives.
Office of the Director.
National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Working Group Members

Cheryl Boyce, Ph.D.

Program Officer
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Abee Boyles, Ph.D.

Program Officer
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

Della Hann, Ph.D.

Director for Extramural Research
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Deborah B. Henken, Ph.D.

Program Officer
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Dale Hereld, M.D., Ph.D.

Program Officer
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Keith W. Hoots, M.D.

Division Director, Division of Blood Diseases and Resources
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Deborah Hoshizaki, Ph.D.

Program Officer
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Mary Jenkins, Ph.D.

Health Scientist
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Danuta Krotoski, Ph.D.

Program Officer
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Sheran Law, Ph.D.

Referral Officer
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Sara Lin, Ph.D.

Program Officer
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Tania Lombo, Ph.D.

Program Officer
Office of the Director
Environmental Influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Lisa Brooks, Ph.D.

Program Officer
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)

Kimberly McAllister, Ph.D.

Program Officer
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

Oleg Mirochnitchenko, Ph.D.

Program Officer
Office of the Director (OD), Office of Research Infrastructure Programs (ORIP)
National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Mahua Mukhopadhyay, Ph.D.

Program Officer
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Pankaj Qasba, Ph.D.

Program Officer
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Afshin Parsa, M.D., M.P.H

Program Officer
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Robert Riddle, Ph.D.

Program Officer
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)

Steven B. Scholnick, Ph.D.

Program Officer
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)

Lillian Shum, Ph.D.

Director, Division of Extramural Research
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)

Karen Sirocco, Ph.D.

Program Officer
National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA)

Kristin M. Burns, M.D.

Program Officer
National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Catherine Y. Spong, M.D.

Deputy Director
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Kathryn Stein, Ph.D.

Health Specialist
Genomic Program Administrator
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR)

John W. Thomas, Ph.D.

Program Officer
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

Reiko Toyama, Ph.D.

Program Officer
National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD)

Ricardo R. Cibotti, Ph.D.

Program Officer
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)

Tiina Ury, Ph.D.

Program Officer
National Center for Advancing Translational Sciences (NCATS)

Frosso Voulgaropoulou, Ph.D.

Program Officer
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)

Anastasia Wise, Ph.D.

Program Officer
National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI)

Donna Dimichele, M.D.

Program Officer
National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute (NHLBI)

William Dunty, Ph.D.

Program Officer
National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA)

Daniel Gossett, Ph.D.

Program Officer
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK)

Kimberly A. Gray, Ph.D.

Program Officer
National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS)

Tom Greenwell, Ph.D.

Program Officer
National Eye Institute (NEI)

Ex Officio Members

Alexander Runko, Ph.D.

Genomic Program Administrator
National Heart Lung and Blood Institute

Grace Shen, Ph.D.

Genomic Program Administrator
National Eye Institute (NEI)

Bracie Watson, Ph.D.

Genomic Program Administrator
National Institute on Deafness and Communication Disorders (NIDCD)

Kathryn R. Marron, Ph.D.

Genomic Program Administrator
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS)