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NIMH Acting Director, NIMH
NIMH Director
Andrea Beckel-Mitchener, Ph.D., is the Acting Director of the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), the lead federal agency for research on mental disorders. She oversees the institute’s research portfolio of basic and clinical research that seeks to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses, paving the way for prevention, recovery, and cure.
Acting Deputy Director Susan Koester, Ph.D.
Dr. Koester plays a part in defining the institute's research priorities, policies, and strategic initiatives and overseeing various aspects of NIMH's operations.
Past NIMH Directors
| Name | In Office from | To |
|---|---|---|
| Robert H. Felix | 1949 | 1964 |
| Stanley F. Yolles | 1964 | 1970 |
| Bertram S. Brown | 1970 | 1977 |
| Francis N. Waldrop (Acting) | 1977 | 1978 |
| Herbert Pardes | 1978 | 1984 |
| Larry Silver (Acting) | 1984 | 1984 |
| Shervert H. Frazier | 1984 | 1986 |
| Frank J. Sullivan (Acting) | 1986 | 1988 |
| Lewis L. Judd | 1988 | 1990 |
| Alan I. Leshner (Acting) | 1990 | 1992 |
| Frederick K. Goodwin | 1992 | 1994 |
| Rex William Cowdry (Acting) | 1994 | 1996 |
| Steven E. Hyman | 1996 | 2001 |
| Richard K. Nakamura (Acting) | 2001 | 2002 |
| Thomas R. Insel | 2002 | 2015 |
| Bruce Cuthbert (Acting) | 2015 | 2016 |
| Joshua A. Gordon | 2016 | 2024 |
| Shelli Avenevoli (Acting) | 2024 | 2025 |