NHGRI appoints Robert Rivers as new director of Office of Training, Diversity and Health Equity

The National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), has selected Robert Rivers, Ph.D., as the new director of the institute’s Training, Diversity and Health Equity (TiDHE) Office. In this role, Dr. Rivers will provide strategic and programmatic leadership to workforce development programs that prepare individuals for genomics careers and NHGRI’s health equity and health disparities research programs. 

Dr. Rivers has worked at NIH for almost 15 years, most recently at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Disease (NIDDK), where he was a program director and later the acting director in the Office of Minority Health Research Coordination. In those roles, he managed grants that enabled high school and undergraduate students to gain hands-on research experience and coordinated research funding to enhance the participation of scientists from diverse groups, including those underrepresented groups in biomedical research through the Short-Term Research Experience Program to Unlock Potential (STEP-UP) program. He also managed a portfolio of programs that provided opportunities and access across the entire career spectrum. Prior to that, he served as a program manager in the National Cancer Institute (NCI) for several years focused on proteogenomic integration.

“With Dr. Rivers’ extensive skills and experience in leading programs as well as his commitment to championing efforts to promote diversity, I’m excited to welcome him as the new TiDHE Office director,” said Vence Bonham Jr., J.D., NHGRI’s acting deputy director. “I look forward to seeing Dr. Rivers lead NHGRI’s efforts to create a genomics workforce that reflects the full diversity and perspectives of the population so that genomic medicine can benefit all."

I’m excited to lead the TiDHE Office and to help the institute develop innovative programs that provide unparalleled outreach and support to trainees in genomics career pathways. As the director, my vision is to empower staff and cultivate a culture of equity throughout the institute and genomics community.

Mr. Bonham has been leading the TiDHE Office as interim director since its inception in 2021. 

NHGRI’s TiDHE Office, established nearly three years ago, leads the institute’s programmatic efforts to enhance diversity and equity in genomics through research and workforce development. Specifically, the office develops and supports a robust portfolio of genomics training programs and promotes and funds genomics research that improves minority health, reduces health disparities and fosters health equity. 

In addition to his programmatic responsibilities, Dr. Rivers will advise the NHGRI director and institute staff on genomics workforce diversity and health equity issues. He will lead the office’s myriad collaborations with other divisions, branches and offices within NHGRI and across NIH, in part to help the institute achieve the goals of its Action Agenda for Building a Diverse Genomics Workforce. 

Dr. Rivers will also be developing partnerships with private industry, non-profit organizations and other groups to support new research programs and initiatives aimed at promoting diversity of the genomics workforce. Lastly, he will facilitate ongoing NHGRI efforts to evaluate progress towards achieving greater diversity and health equity in genomics and genomic medicine.

"I’m excited to lead the TiDHE Office and to help the institute develop innovative programs that provide unparalleled outreach and support to trainees in genomics career pathways,” said Dr. Rivers. “As the director, my vision is to empower staff and cultivate a culture of equity throughout the institute and genomics community.”

Dr. Rivers has received multiple honors from NIH for his work in enhancing workplace diversity, including three NIH Director’s Awards.

He first joined the NIH through the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) Science & Technology Policy Fellowship program where he worked in the Office of Cancer Clinical Proteomics Research. Prior to joining the NIH, he worked as a medical writer and as a teacher. He graduated with a B.S. in chemistry from Kentucky State University, was awarded the Gates Cambridge Scholarship and completed his Ph.D. in chemistry from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom. 

Dr. Rivers began his appointment at NHGRI on July 28, 2024.