National Institute of
General Medical Sciences

National Institute of General Medical Sciences (NIGMS) Director Jon R. Lorsch, Ph.D., has appointed Judith H. Greenberg, Ph.D., as the Institute's deputy director. Greenberg has served as acting deputy director since October 2013.

"Dr. Greenberg is a trusted advisor and a vital member of the NIGMS leadership team," Lorsch said. "I am extremely pleased that she will continue her dedicated service to the Institute and to NIH in this key position."

As deputy director, Greenberg will advise Lorsch on the full range of NIGMS activities to support fundamental research that increases understanding of biological processes and fuels advances in disease diagnosis, treatment and prevention. The Institute's budget of $2.366 billion funds more than 4,500 research grants—about 10.5 percent of those supported by NIH as a whole—as well as a substantial amount of research training and programs designed to enhance the diversity of the biomedical research workforce and develop research capacities throughout the country.

Greenberg's many significant contributions at NIGMS have included leading the development of two strategic plans and spearheading the establishment of important new policies.

A developmental biologist by training, Greenberg has served as director of the NIGMS Division of Genetics and Developmental Biology since 1988. She also twice served as the Institute's acting director for a total of more than 3½ years.

Greenberg has a strong interest in research training and bioethics issues, and she has advised NIH on topics that include human embryonic stem cells and gene therapy. Additionally, she served as principal leader of the NIH Director's Pioneer Award program from 2004 to 2012 and of the NIH Director's New Innovator Award program from its inception in 2007 to 2012. She was also the project officer for the NIGMS Human Genetic Cell Repository, an important resource for genetic research, from 1984 to 2011.

Prior to joining NIGMS as a program administrator in 1981, Greenberg conducted research in the intramural program of what is now NIH's National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research. Her focus was on cell migration and differentiation in early embryonic development.

Greenberg's honors include a Public Health Service Special Recognition Award in 1991 and a Presidential Meritorious Executive Rank Award in 1999. Her leadership of the Pioneer and New Innovator Award programs was recognized with NIH Director's Awards in 2006 and 2008, respectively. In 2013, she was recognized with the inaugural NIGMS Distinguished Service Award.

Greenberg earned a B.S. in biology from the University of Pittsburgh, an M.A. in biology from Boston University and a Ph.D. in developmental biology from Bryn Mawr College in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania.