Valerie C Virta, PhD
About Valerie C Virta, PhD
Valerie C. Virta, PhD, is a Health Science Policy Analyst with extensive experience in various roles at the National Institutes of Health and other organizations. She holds a PhD in Zoology from the University of Washington and has contributed to scientific writing, project management, and policy analysis throughout her career.
Work at National Institutes of Health
Valerie C Virta, PhD, has held multiple positions at the National Institutes of Health (NIH). She served as a Health Science Policy Analyst starting in 2023. Prior to this role, she worked as a Small Business Program Manager in 2021 for eight months and as an AAAS Science & Technology Policy Fellow from 2019 to 2021. During her fellowship, she contributed to the NIH Science and Technology Research Infrastructure for Discovery, Experimentation, and Sustainability (STRIDES) Initiative. Additionally, she was involved in the NICHD Program Office for one month in 2014 and served as Deputy Chair of the Data Access Committee from 2021 to 2023.
Education and Expertise
Valerie C Virta earned her Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Zoology from the University of Washington. She also holds a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Molecular Biology from The University of Texas at Austin. Her educational background includes specialized studies in embryology, evolutionary developmental biology, and marine invertebrate zoology at institutions such as Friday Harbor Labs and the Marine Biological Laboratory. This diverse academic foundation supports her expertise in health science policy and scientific writing.
Background
Valerie C Virta has a diverse professional background in scientific writing, project management, and policy analysis. She worked at Medical Science & Computing (MSC) from 2014 to 2018 as a Scientific Editor, Writer, Project Manager, and Web Content Curator. In 2019, she served as a scientific writer and consultant for The Bizzell Group, LLC, and Covalent Solutions, LLC. Her experience also includes a role as a Postdoctoral Research Fellow at the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute for Child Health and Human Development from 2011 to 2014.
Achievements
During her tenure at the NIH, Valerie C Virta received a Postdoctoral Intramural Research Training Award (IRTA) for her research on the movements of neural crest cells during jaw development in zebrafish. She managed projects related to the annual reporting of grant funding for small businesses to the Small Business Administration while working in the SEED office. Additionally, she worked as a scientific editor for PubMed Health at the National Center for Biotechnology Information, contributing to the dissemination of health information.