Melissa Laitner

Melissa Laitner, PhD, MPH is Director of Strategic Initiatives at the National Academy of Medicine, where she serves as a senior advisor to the President and leads initiatives addressing critical domestic and global health policy challenges. She oversees cross-cutting projects on biomedical innovation, emerging science and technology, and the future of health and medicine—bringing together leaders from government, academia, civil society, and the private sector to advance actionable solutions. She has been a strategic advisor for health initiatives led by the National Institutes of Health, the Gates Foundation, and the World Economic Forum. Prior to the NAM, Melissa was a Health Science Policy Analyst in the Immediate Office of the Director at the NIH, where she supported enterprise-wide initiatives, including those focused on women’s health and strengthening the biomedical workforce.

She previously served as Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs at the Society for Women’s Health Research, leading legislative and regulatory strategies to advance research and policy promoting women’s health. Melissa served in the U.S. Senate as an American Association for the Advancement of Science & Technology Policy Fellow. A clinical health psychologist by training, she brings expertise in the mental and behavioral health impacts of complex medical conditions.