THRO Team: Building Research Partnerships for Healthy Tribal Nations
Karina L. Walters, Ph.D., M.S.W.
Director
Karina L. Walters, Ph.D., M.S.W., an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, is director of the NIH Tribal Health Research Office (THRO). In this role, she leads the THRO team and works to unify NIH representatives, research, and resources to improve the health of American Indians and Alaska Natives. She is deeply committed to engaging Tribal leadership in health research efforts. A social epidemiology and health prevention scholar, Dr. Walters has more than 28 years of Native health research experience, encompassing foundational science, disease prevention, health promotion, and intervention research. Prior to NIH, she was a tenured full professor and the Katherine Hall Chambers Scholar at the University of Washington (UW) School of Social Work. She is also the founding director of the UW Indigenous Wellness Research Institute, and served from 2012-2019 as Associate Dean for Research at the UW School of Social Work. Dr. Walters is the first American Indian fellow inducted into the American Academy of Social Welfare and Social Work. She earned a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and an M.S.W. and a Ph.D. in social welfare, also from UCLA.
Learn more about Dr. Walters.
Juliana Blome, Ph.D., M.P.H., M.S.
Deputy Director
As deputy director, Dr. Juliana Blome coordinates and advocates for Tribal health research across NIH. Dr. Blome provides leadership and technical assistance to federal staff and extramural researchers regarding Tribal sovereignty and ethical and culturally appropriate research policies and practices when conducting research with Tribal Nations. She oversees THRO communications and legislative activities, including work to strengthen collaboration between NIH and American Indian and Alaska Native communities, build partnerships based on trust and transparency, and increase cultural awareness in research that improves health in Tribal communities. Dr. Blome has more than 15 years of senior-level experience at NIH and has also worked in the U.S. Senate. She graduated from Columbia University with a Ph.D. in sociology, M.P.H. in sociomedical sciences, and M.S. in clinical social work.
Sheila Caldwell, Ph.D.
Senior Advisor
Dr. Sheila Caldwell, Mi'kmaq descendant, is senior research advisor in THRO. She provides expert guidance and assistance on major Tribal health research policy issues affecting NIH, the biomedical research enterprise, and American Indian and Alaska Native communities across the country. Dr. Caldwell joined THRO from NIH’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences, where she directed the Native American Research Centers for Health (NARCH) program, as well as components of the Institutional Development Award (IDeA) program. She graduated from George Washington University with a Ph.D. and a M.Phil. in Molecular and Cellular Oncology.
Selina Keryte, M.P.H
Health Science Policy Analyst
Ms. Selina Keryte, a member of Navajo Nation, is a health science policy analyst in THRO. She uses her extensive experience serving American Indians and Alaska Natives to coordinate work with the NIH Tribal Advisory Committee and develop cultural awareness trainings for NIH staff and extramural researchers. Prior to joining NIH in 2020, Ms. Keryte was the national lead for the Domestic Violence Prevention Program at the Indian Health Service and led efforts to strengthen capacity among the 12 nationally recognized Tribal Epidemiology Centers. She has a M.P.H. from the University of New Mexico.
Jacqueline Reardon
Program Specialist
Ms. Jacquelyn (Jackie) Reardon joined THRO in 2020 as a program specialist. She provides administrative and organizational support to help THRO meet its NIH-wide goals for Tribal health research. Previously, Ms. Reardon worked in the NIH Office of AIDS Research, where she assisted with the development and implementation of the Paperless Administrative Support System (PASS), managed the summer intern program, and supervised the scanning team. She graduated from the Academy of Business with a Certification in Information Processing. A leader in her community, Ms. Reardon coaches young people in competitive kickball.
Bonnie Tabasko, M.S., CHES
Communications Director
Ms. Bonnie Tabasko leads THRO’s communications activities with federal partners, Tribal Nations, and Tribal-serving organizations. An advocate for the health of people and the planet, she is a longtime NIH communications advisor, strategist, and writer with more than two decades of experience working across the agency. Prior to joining THRO in 2020, Ms. Tabasko directed communications focused on older adults, environmental influences on children’s health, and women’s health research. Before a sabbatical of international travel and volunteer work, primarily in Bhutan, she led and supported NIH-wide communications efforts for 10 years as part of the Office of Communications and Public Liaison in the Office of the Director. She started her NIH career at the Clinical Center, the nation’s largest hospital devoted entirely to clinical research. Ms. Tabasko has a B.S. in communications from Ithaca College and M.S. in health promotion management from American University, during which she worked with an obesity prevention program at Children’s Hospital Colorado.
This page last reviewed on July 11, 2023