Karyn ONYENEHO

Biography

Dr. Karyn N. Onyeneho is the Advisor for Genomic Data Sharing in the Division of Neuroscience at the National Institute on Aging.  In this role, she leads the development, implementation, and analysis of the NIH Genomic Data Sharing (GDS) Policy and is responsible for oversight of policies and procedures governing NIH-wide GDS functions for NIA.  Her leadership enables the validation of research results, accessibility of high-value datasets, and translation of research results, including treatments and products, into applications that improve human health. Dr. Onyeneho also serves as Chair of the NIA Data Access Committee overseeing administration of data access requests to NIAGADS. Additionally, she is responsible for ensuring NIH-funded scientific investigators comply with the NIH Data Management and Sharing Policy and facilitates building partnerships across the intramural and extramural NIA enterprise to support research that advances understanding dementias of old age and their associated neural and behavioral processes.

Prior to joining NIA, Dr. Onyeneho served as a Genomic Scientific Administrator at the NIH All of Us Research Program supporting partnerships between the program’s Genome Centers and Genetic Counseling Resource for the return of genetic health-related results to research participants. She was part of the historic effort in launching the first set of genetic health-related return of results in 2022 and developing policy guidelines for the Resource Access Board. Dr. Onyeneho holds a Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences from Howard University; an M.S., Upsilon Delta National Honors, in Health Informatics from George Mason University; and a B.S., Magna Cum Laude, in Health Sciences and Management from Howard University. Her doctoral research focused on investigating exome sequencing and GWAS of single nucleotide polymorphisms, candidate genes, and nutritional phenotypic traits in adults of African ancestry in the study of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus hereditary disease risk.