Biography

Eric J. Juarez, Ph.D., is a presidential management fellow in the Education Branch of the Office of Policy, Communications and Education, where he develops innovative translational science education and training resources and evaluations for the intramural and extramural communities.

Before joining NCATS, Juarez was a consortium for faculty diversity fellow and visiting lecturer at Mount Holyoke College, where he taught courses on decision science, behavior change and imagination.

Juarez earned his doctorate in psychology and neuroscience in 2022 from Duke University, where his dissertation explored the features of imagination that contribute to different types of decision-making, including financial and career choices. During his training, he also served the broader university community in the Office of Interdisciplinary Studies and on committees with the Duke Board of Trustees. Juarez received his Bachelor of Arts magna cum laude in psychology from Harvard College, where he wrote his undergraduate thesis on food choice, imagination and aging.

Research Topics

Juarez is a cross-disciplinary scholar who enjoys bringing a transdisciplinary social science perspective to translational science. He is particularly interested in systemic approaches to fostering creativity and innovation in the translational workforce, guiding decision-making during career transitions, and applying best practices from cognitive science to foster the learning of translational science principles.