National Institutes of Health

Innovator Support Team Lead

About

Dr. Sasiela has over a decade of experience educating and enabling academic innovators and small businesses engaged in therapeutic, device, and diagnostic product development programs. As the Innovator Support Team Lead in the SEED (Small business Education and Entrepreneurial Development) Office at the National Institutes of Health, Chris coordinates the activities of a team of seasoned professionals with experience in business strategy, business development, fundraising, partnerships, reimbursement, and regulatory affairs. Chris is passionate about enabling NIH’s innovator community to progress their discoveries as far as science and human biology permit. Starting her career as a basic science researcher, Chris quickly decided to get closer to human impact in her work and engaged in drug discovery, development, and improvement with several employers before moving even closer to human impact as a regulatory professional. Throughout her tenure at NIH, Chris has worked at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and is currently in the Office of the Director. Chris and her team provide project-focused consultations, deliver educational seminars, and develop regulatory resources for internal and external stakeholders supporting solution development addressing a full spectrum of human disease and disorders.