Panel Presentation: The NIH HEAL Initiative: A Bold Interagency Response to the Opioid Crisis

Rebecca G. Baker, Ph.D., is the director of the Helping to End Addiction Long-termSM Initiative, or NIH HEAL InitiativeSM, in the Office of the Director, NIH. Dr. Baker helped develop the NIH HEAL Initiative and leads coordination of HEAL programmatic activities between the Office of the Director and relevant Institutes and Centers (ICs), NIH HEAL Initiative staff, and governance committees. She also provides expert advice to and represents the NIH Director on initiative-related activities, including interagency efforts and partnerships in pain and opioid research and policy. Prior to holding this position, Dr. Baker was special assistant to the NIH Director, working directly with NIH leadership to develop new scientific initiatives, and analyze scientific, legislative, communications, and policy issues. Previously, she worked as a postdoctoral scientist using next-generation DNA sequencing to identify novel disease-causing genes in patients with rare immunological diseases. She earned her Ph.D. from the University of Pennsylvania and her bachelor's degree from Cornell University.

Dr. Linda Porter directs the National Institutes of Health’s Office of Pain Policy and Planning. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Physical Therapy from McGill University and a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Boston University. Dr. Porter trained in neurophysiology at Rockefeller University and then served on the   faculty of the Uniformed Services University, where she directed a research program on sensory-motor integration. Dr. Porter joined the NIH in 2003 where her role includes coordinating activities of the NIH Pain Consortium and the Interagency Pain Research Coordinating Committee, whose missions respectively, are to advance the trans-NIH and interagency pain research agenda. She co-chaired the development of the National Pain Strategy and the Federal Pain Research Strategy and now is involved with the NIH HEAL (Helping End Addiction Long-term) initiative. Dr. Porter has been recognized for her work through the President’s Award from the American Academy of Pain Management, NIH Director’s Awards, and the Emma and John Bonica Public Service Award from the American Pain Society.

Jack B. Stein, Ph.D. has over two decades of professional experience in leading national drug and HIV-related research, practice, and policy. He first joined NIDA as the OSPC Deputy Director, and later as the Deputy Director for the Division of Epidemiology, Services and Prevention Research. He then left NIDA to become Director of the Division of Services Improvement, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. Immediately prior to rejoining NIDA, Dr. Stein served as the Chief of the Prevention Branch, Office of Demand Reduction, at the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy. Dr. Stein has authored numerous articles, book chapters, and reports on HIV prevention and substance use services. He is a graduate of Union College, where he earned a bachelor of science in biology. He holds a master’s degree in social work from New York University and a doctoral degree in health services from Walden University.