About the Director/Chief Information Officer
Dr. Merritt has over 20 years of technical, analytic, and policy experience supporting cyber and national security operations, holding critical roles across the Intelligence Community and federal agencies. As CIO, Dr. Merritt reports to the NIH Associate Director for Information Technology, Cyberinfrastructure and Cybersecurity Sean Mooney, Ph.D. Dr. Merritt will work closely with Dr. Mooney to advise agency leadership on all IT matters, including compliance with federal legal and regulatory requirements.
Previously, as the Intelligence Community (IC) Chief Information Officer, she led modernization efforts to transform the IC Information Technology Enterprise (IC ITE) and other areas of the IC Information Environment to ensure the security of the IC’s information technology (IT) systems and enhance IT cooperation within the 18 Intelligence Community elements. She previously led efforts to advance cybersecurity innovation and partnerships through collaborations with industry, academia, and government.
A mathematician by training, Dr. Merritt’s diverse career path includes serving as Principal Deputy CIO for Cyber at the Department of Energy, holding senior positions on the National Security Council Staff at the White House, and leading a public-private partnership that addressed cyber threats to U.S. national security systems and critical infrastructure.
Dr. Merritt was a National Security Fellow at Harvard’s Kennedy School. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance from Pace University, and a Master of Science and Ph.D. in Mathematics from the University of Rhode Island.
She received multiple prestigious community awards for her service, including three National Intelligence Meritorious Unit Citations, the Intelligence Community Seal Medallion, and FedScoop50 and CyberScoop50 leadership awards.
About the Deputy Director, OCIO (Acting)
Joe Henke is the Acting Deputy Director/Deputy Chief Information Officer (DCIO). He is also concurrently serving as the CIO at the National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI). In that role, he received recognition for his exceptional support during the COVID-19 pandemic. His federal experience includes roles such as Deputy Chief Information Security Officer at the Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA), Information Systems Security Officer at NHGRI, and Deputy ISSO at the Center for Information Technology (CIT).
About the Chief Information Security Officer Director (Acting)
Maureen Falvella is the Acting Director/Chief Information Security Officer (CISO). In this role, Maureen oversees Governance, Risk and Compliance, Cybersecurity Operations, and Infrastructure and Data Protection.
Maureen has over fourteen years of technical experience developing strategies, directing operations, and overseeing budgets to protect information assets at NIH. Most recently, Maureen served as CISO, at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI). Previously, Maureen served as the Information System Security Officer (ISSO) at NHLBI.
Maureen has a Master of Science in Digital Forensics and Cyber Investigation and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration, both obtained from the University of Maryland, Global Campus (UMGC).
About the Director of the Information Technology Policy Review Office
Jason Hitchcock has over 20 years of experience in working with IT policy and planning functions in the Federal government. For the past four years, he has served as the Director of the Information Technology Policy Review Office within the NIH Office of the Chief Information Officer. In this role, Jason provides leadership in areas of IT policy, governance, capital planning and investment control, and Section 508.
About the Director of the Office of IT Architecture
Robert Shirley currently serves as the Director for the Office of IT Architecture at the Chief Information Officer (OCIO). Previously he led critical programs at the National Cancer Institute (NCI), including the HALO platform for digital pathology analysis, Rob brings expertise in future technologies, cloud software development, and systems engineering process enhancement. With a background spanning software engineering, architecture, and instrument control, he has also made significant contributions to genomic research. Robert holds a Bachelor of Science in Math with a minor in Computer Science from Drexel University.