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About the Executive Secretariat
The NIH Executive Secretariat (Exec Sec) is an organization within the Immediate Office of the Director that provides expert support to the NIH Director and Principal Deputy Director, ensuring timely, accurate, and fully integrated response and decision-making information. Exec Sec represents NIH’s perspective to HHS Operating and Staff Divisions and other government agencies and serves as an honest broker in adjudicating differences in organizational perspectives across NIH.
Our mission is to advance the NIH Director and Principal Deputy Director’s strategic priorities through expert analysis and seamless coordination of critical information flow, communications, engagements, and records management. This work is often accomplished in collaboration with a network of liaisons in NIH’s Institutes, Centers, and Offices. Through this, we aim to fulfill our vision to support the NIH mission by setting the standard of excellence in information coordination through precise analysis, integration of innovative technology, and trusted collaboration across NIH and the wider community.
Exec Sec Leadership
Alissa Meister, Ph.D.
Director
Executive Secretariat
Alissa Meister, Ph.D.
Alissa Meister is the Director of the NIH Office of the Executive Secretariat, which facilitates the integration of policy and scientific information in support of the NIH Director’s and Principal Deputy Director’s day-to-day work.
She previously served as a Senior Health Science Policy Analyst and Special Assistant to the Acting Deputy Director in the NIH Office of Science Policy (OSP). In her role, she led strategic, high-impact scientific initiatives with broad implications across the biomedical research enterprise, including public engagement in clinical research, drug pricing, and partnerships. Alissa joined NIH as a Presidential Management Fellow in 2019, serving as a Health Specialist and Special Assistant to the Director and Deputy Director of the National Institute of Dental & Craniofacial Research (NIDCR). She completed a developmental rotation at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders & Stroke (NINDS), where she worked on several projects related to neuroethics.
Alissa graduated with a B.S. in Neuroscience from Dickinson College and earned a Ph.D. in Neuroscience from Pennsylvania State College of Medicine.
Organizational Chart
