Tara A. Schwetz (née Munn) is an American biophysicist and government administrator who serves as a deputy director of the
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) is the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and public health research. It was founded in 1887 and is part of the United States Department of Health and Human Service ...
. She previously served as Acting Principal Deputy Director.
Prior to her appointment as Acting Principal Deputy Director, she served as the Associate Deputy Director, NIH—a role she has held began in January 2019.
She joined the NIH in 2012 as an
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is a United States–based international nonprofit with the stated mission of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsib ...
(AAAS) Science and Technology Policy Fellow and has held a number of positions during her time at the agency. She was placed on administrative leave in March of 2025.
Education
A native of
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. Located along Interstate 4, I-4 east of Tampa and southwest of Orlando, Florida, Orlando, it is the List of municipalities in Florida, most populous city in Polk County. As of the 2020 ...
, Schwetz is a first-generation college graduate. Schwetz received a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry with honors from
Florida State University
Florida State University (FSU or Florida State) is a Public university, public research university in Tallahassee, Florida, United States. It is a senior member of the State University System of Florida and a preeminent university in the s ...
in 2005 (''Honors Thesis: Non-metal activation of iron-dependent regulator protein in
mycobacterium tuberculosis
''Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (M. tb), also known as Koch's bacillus, is a species of pathogenic bacteria in the family Mycobacteriaceae and the causative agent of tuberculosis.
First discovered in 1882 by Robert Koch, ''M. tuberculosis'' ha ...
''). She then went on to earn a Doctor of Philosophy in Medical Sciences, Biophysics from the
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida (USF) is a Public university, public research university with its main campus located in Tampa, Florida, Tampa, Florida, United States, and other campuses in St. Petersburg, Florida, St. Petersburg and Sarasota, ...
in 2009 (''Dissertation: Glycosylation Modulates Cardiac Excitability by Altering Voltage-Gated Potassium Currents''). Schwetz was a postdoctoral researcher in the lab of
David W. Piston at
Vanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...
from 2009 to 2012.
Career
Throughout her nearly decade-long career at the NIH, Schwetz has held multiple positions, both within the Office of the Director and across several Institutes.
During her tenure as the Associate Deputy Director of NIH, Schwetz served as the Acting Director and Acting Deputy Director of the
National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR).
Her former roles include Chief of the Strategic Planning and Evaluation Branch at the
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
The National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID, ) is one of the 27 institutes and centers that make up the National Institutes of Health (NIH), an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services. NIAID's mis ...
, where she led several efforts, including an evaluation of the Centers of Excellence for Influenza Research and Surveillance to facilitate evidence-based decision-making and development of the NIAID Strategic Plan for Tuberculosis Research. Schwetz also served as the Senior Advisor to the Principal Deputy Director of NIH, the NIH Environmental influences on Child Health Outcomes (ECHO) Interim Associate Program Director, and as a Health Science Policy Analyst at the
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is a part of the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH). It conducts and funds research on brain and nervous system disorders and has a budget of just over US$2.03 billion. The ...
. Schwetz started her career at NIH as an AAAS Science and Technology Policy Fellow at NINR.
Schwetz has led or co-led a number of high-profile, agency-wide efforts, including two Rapid Acceleration of Diagnostics (RADx) programs (RADx Underserved Populations, RADx Radical) to speed innovation in the development, commercialization, and implementation of technologies for COVID-19 testing, and the Implementing a Maternal health and Pregnancy Outcomes Vision for Everyone (IMPROVE) initiative. She also spearheaded several strategic planning efforts, such as the first NIH-Wide Strategic Plan and the NIH-Wide COVID-19 Strategic Plan; and played a significant role in the development of the National Pain Strategy.
ARPA-H
For much of 2021, Schwetz served on detail to the White House
Office of Science and Technology Policy
The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is a department of the United States government, part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, Executive Office of the President (EOP), established by United States Congres ...
as the Assistant Director for Biomedical Science Initiatives. In this role, she led development and planning efforts to stand up the proposed
Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health
The Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) is an agency within the Department of Health and Human Services. Its mission is to "make pivotal investments in break-through technologies and broadly applicable platforms, capabilities, r ...
(ARPA-H). The
Biden Administration
Joe Biden's tenure as the List of presidents of the United States, 46th president of the United States began with Inauguration of Joe Biden, his inauguration on January 20, 2021, and ended on January 20, 2025. Biden, a member of the Democr ...
proposed ARPA-H in the fiscal year 2022 President’s budget request to tackle some of the biggest health challenges faced by all Americans by driving medical innovation more rapidly.
Awards and honors
Schwetz is the recipient of numerous NIH awards, including the
NIH Ruth Kirschstein National Research Service Award. In addition, she received awards from the
American Cancer Society
The American Cancer Society (ACS) is a nationwide non-profit organization dedicated to eliminating cancer. The ACS publishes the journals ''Cancer'', '' CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians'' and '' Cancer Cytopathology''.
History
The society w ...
and
American Heart Association
The American Heart Association (AHA) is a nonprofit organization in the United States that funds cardiovascular medical research, educates consumers on healthy living and fosters appropriate Heart, cardiac care in an effort to reduce disability ...
. She is also the first female recipient of the USF Genshaft Family Doctoral Fellowship.
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Schwetz, Tara A.
NIH Women Scientists Project
1983 births
Living people
People from Lakeland, Florida
Florida State University alumni
University of South Florida alumni
21st-century American women scientists
Scientists from Florida
National Institutes of Health people
21st-century American scientists