Biography

Heather L. Baker is the senior program coordinator in the Office of the Director within NCATS’ Division of Clinical Innovation (DCI). She coordinates projects and the Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSA) Program portfolio, manages diversity and other administrative supplements, and directs CTSA Program coordinating center activities. Previously, Baker was the team lead and a program specialist in DCI’s Office of Program Evaluation, Analysis and Reporting. Before joining DCI in 2017, she was a chemist in the Analytical Chemistry laboratory of the center’s Division of Preclinical Innovation. There, she provided expertise in analytical chemistry for teams working on early-stage chemical development.

Baker joined NIH in 2006 as a research assistant and laboratory manager in the Natural Products Chemistry Section of the Laboratory of Bioorganic Chemistry at the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. Her research aimed to discover, design and synthesize diverse molecules key to studying and treating infectious diseases.

Before joining NIH, Baker worked at the Harbor Branch Oceanographic Institute at Florida Atlantic University. She focused on the discovery of marine natural products that can be used to develop improved medicines or act as molecular probes to better understand disease.

Baker earned her B.S. in chemistry from the University of Florida.

Professional Interests

Baker enjoys improving processes, managing projects and analyzing the CTSA Program training portfolio. She also is fond of scuba diving and marine natural products research.