Vaccine Research Center (VRC)

Associate Director's Profile

Abe Mittelman

Associate Director for Management and Operations

Abe Mittelman

Abe Mittelman joined the Dale and Betty Bumpers Vaccine Research Center (VRC) of the National Institutes of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), National Institutes of Health, in January 2001, as Associate Director for Management and Operations. In this position, he works closely with the Director, Dr. Gary Nabel, and the Deputy Director, John Mascola, in executive oversight of the VRC, and represents the VRC at NIH planning and advisory meetings. Mr. Mittelman oversees a broad range of activities, and is responsible for operational and management aspects of implementing VRC basic research, and VRC pre-clinical, clinical, vaccine production, and animal care programs; facility management; financial management; technology transfer, including patent and licensing issues; legislation; information systems technology development; support and evaluation activities; program planning and evaluation; policy analysis; communications and governmental affairs; human resources management; contracts and supplies acquisitions; and administrative management.

Mr. Mittelman received his graduate and undergraduate training in toxicology and chemistry from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the Yeshiva University Graduate School of Science (B.A., 1974; M.A., 1975), and earned his M.P.H. from the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health (1981). He has co-authored numerous publications, including review articles, state-of-the-science reports and book chapters, and has chaired or facilitated high-profile national expert panels and workshops for NIH and the Executive Office of the President. He has been awarded numerous honors throughout his career as a scientist and scientific administrator, including receipt of the NIH Director’s Award recognizing Mr. Mittelman for exceptional dedication, skill, and leadership managing a complex basic and translational research program; and outstanding achievement managing the manufacture and testing of vaccine products. In addition to the NIH Director’s Award, Mr. Mittelman has received over 20 performance-based awards during his tenure at the NIH. He was also previously awarded the Bronze Medal for Commendable Service while at the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and was recognized by the Council on International Exchange of Scholars as an alternate Fulbright Scholar.

Prior to his appointment to the VRC, Mr. Mittelman served as managing director of consultant groups servicing NIAID's research programs, and as a regulatory scientist at the Environmental Protection Agency. He has managed highly complex technical, administrative, and budgetary activities for a wide range of cross-cutting biomedical and health research programs. In addition to NIAID and the EPA, his government experience encompasses supporting the NIH Office of the Director; the National Institute of Child Health and Human Development; the National Cancer Institute; the DHHS Office of Minority Health; the NIH Office of Research on Women's Health; the NIH Office of Science Education; the National Toxicology Program; the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences; NASA; the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research; the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry; the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; the Health Resources and Services Administration; the U.S. Department of Agriculture; and the U.S. Department of Energy.