NHGRI welcomes Robert Rivers as new TiDHE Office Director

NHGRI has a strong commitment to funding programs to enhance diversity in the genomics workforce and to support research about genomics and health equity. Much of this essential work is orchestrated through the institute’s Training, Diversity, and Health Equity (TiDHE) Office, which develops genomics training programs and funds genomics research that improves minority health, reduces health disparities, and fosters health equity. 

Since its establishment in 2021, the TiDHE Office has been led by Vence Bonham Jr., J.D., NHGRI’s acting deputy director. After a rigorous search, NHGRI has selected Robert Rivers, Ph.D., as the new director of the TiDHE Office. 

Dr. Rivers comes to NHGRI from the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK), where he was a program director and later the acting director of their Office of Minority Health Research Coordination. There, he oversaw research funding to improve the participation of scientists from diverse groups, including those from backgrounds historically underrepresented in biomedical research.

Dr. Rivers also managed NIDDK’s Short-Term Research Experience Program to Unlock Potential (STEP-UP) program, which helps high school and undergraduate students gain hands-on research experience. Prior to joining NIDDK, Dr. Rivers worked at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) as a program manager, focusing on proteogenomic integration. He first joined the NIH through the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science & Technology Policy Fellowship Program, through which he worked at NCI's Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research. In total, he has been at the NIH for nearly 15 years! 

Before coming to the NIH, Dr. Rivers worked as a medical writer and as a teacher. He graduated with a B.S. in chemistry from Kentucky State University and was awarded the prestigious Gates Cambridge Scholarship to study chemistry for his Ph.D. at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. 

As the new TiDHE director, Dr. Rivers will provide leadership for workforce development programs that prepare individuals from diverse backgrounds for genomics careers and for NHGRI’s health equity and health disparities research programs. He will also advise the NHGRI director and institute staff on genomics workforce diversity and health equity issues. Moreover, Dr. Rivers will lead collaborations with other divisions, branches, and offices within NHGRI and across NIH to help the institute achieve the goals of the institute’s Action Agenda for Building a Diverse Genomics Workforce.   

Dr. Rivers' vision as the new TiDHE director is to empower staff and cultivate a culture of equity throughout the institute and the genomics community. He began his new role on July 28.

The NIH-funded Genetic Counseling Training Program, a joint master’s program administered in partnership with Johns Hopkins University, has trained genetic counseling students for nearly 30 years, with over 100 graduates to date. The program distinguishes itself by providing students opportunities to develop and conduct research projects in addition to their genetic counseling education. NIH has decided to pause admissions of new students to this program starting this month. During this time, program leadership will begin directing efforts towards program development. Currently matriculated students will be supported through the entirety of their planned education, including the most recently admitted class, whose program will finish in December 2026. While NIH considers a possible new genetic counseling training program, members of the genetic counseling community and other interested individuals will be encouraged to provide input. Future announcements will provide more details on these opportunities. 

NHGRI has published a new informed consent resource that provides sample language and other guidance meant to aid researchers and institutional review boards (IRBs) when crafting informed consent forms. This sample language is aligned with the broader NIH guidance for handling and sharing human genomic and phenotypic data. Compiled from a variety of sources, the new informed consent resource goes through the key pieces of information that need to be shared with research participants. For each piece of information, the resource provides two or more examples of how consent forms might phrase that information so that participants will understand how their data are being collected, used, and distributed. This resource will hopefully serve as a helpful starting point for those who have questions about how to ensure their study’s informed consent process meets NIH’s expectations and genomic data sharing policies. More information about the informed consent process and why informed consent is required can be found among NHGRI’s fact sheets.

The NHGRI-funded Impact of Genomic Variation on Function (IGVF) Consortium, a group of researchers studying the effects of genomic variation on genome function and phenotype, recently published its marker paper in Nature that outlines the goals and approaches for the IGVF Consortium. Spanning more than 120 laboratories across the United States, IGVF researchers are pursuing highly collaborative projects that aim to systematically catalog the functions of genomic variants. These efforts include developing and testing various model systems in conjunction with using different experimental and computational approaches. Learn more about the IGVF Consortium in a recent story on genome.gov that features several IGVF researchers and their projects.

The American Society for Human Genetics (ASHG) is awarding NHGRI acting deputy director Vence Bonham Jr., J.D., with their 2024 ASHG Advocacy Award, which recognizes individuals who have made significant achievements in promoting human genetics and its use for the common good. Throughout his career, Bonham has conducted groundbreaking work in advancing health equity and workforce diversity, reaching beyond NHGRI and more broadly influencing the fields of genetics and genomics. Bonham was instrumental to the creation of NHGRI’s Training, Diversity, and Health Equity (TiDHE) Office, where he served as acting director until July of this year. With the TiDHE Office, he developed projects and programs for increasing the diversity of the genomics workforce and addressing issues of health equity. Additionally, Bonham’s own research program focuses on the societal implications of genomics research, such as its role in worsening or improving health disparities, primarily in communities of color. Bonham will officially receive the award at the 2024 ASHG annual meeting in November.