Rachel Scheinert, Ph.D.

As director of the NIDCR Office of Science Policy and Analysis (OSPA), Rachel Scheinert is responsible for managing activities in the areas of science policy; scientific strategic planning, coding, and reporting; legislative affairs; and dental public health.

Prior to joining NIDCR, Dr. Scheinert served as lead health science policy analyst in the Science Policy and Evaluation Branch at the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). Dr. Scheinert also completed a science policy detail in the Immediate Office of the NIH Director. There, she helped to manage critical NIH research programs during the pandemic, including the RECOVER Initiative, RADx-rad, and the Long COVID Computational Challenge. She also coordinated with NIH leadership to implement the NIH-Wide Strategic Plan for Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility and developed a plan to evaluate its progress. Dr. Scheinert earned her Ph.D. in biomedical engineering from the University of Florida, Gainesville, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at NIMH on the neuroimmune response in models of psychosocial stress.