Embedded Files
Senior Manager for Global Health R&D Advocacy at Research!AmericA
Senior Manager for Global Health R&D Advocacy at Research!AmericA
Dr. Sims currently works at Research!America as the Senior Manager for Global Health Research and Development Advocacy. She is dedicated to improving communication between scientists, the public, and policymakers to increase support for scientific research and healthcare access globally. In her role, she directly engages with Congressional offices to advocate for more funding to organizations like NIH, FDA, and CDC. Dr. Sims tracks healthcare-related Congressional activities and appropriations processes. She translates complex scientific and policy findings into accessible insights through briefings, reports, letters, and visual media. Actively participating in global health coalitions, she coordinates events with broad audiences and leads collaborations with pharmaceutical companies to boost private sector investment in global health research. Dr. Sims also spearheads initiatives for increased investment in global health and engages directly with Capitol Hill offices to craft reports for key opinion leaders, contributing to effective communication between researchers and stakeholders.
Selection of Moderated Discussions by Dr. Sims:
Selection of Moderated Discussions by Dr. Sims:
Research!America discussion on Alzheimer's Research
Research!America discussion on Alzheimer's Research
Research!America Alliance Discussion - Rural Health Disparities: What will it take to make progress?
Research!America Alliance Discussion - Rural Health Disparities: What will it take to make progress?
Research!America Alliance Discussion - Rural Health Disparities: How to weigh in on policy at NIH through Requests for Information
Research!America Alliance Discussion - Rural Health Disparities: How to weigh in on policy at NIH through Requests for Information
Scientific Expertise:
Scientific Expertise:
Dr. Sims is a trained neuroimmunologist with interest in how inflammatory molecular signaling pathways impact neurological disease.
Savannah worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the Washington University in St Louis School of Medicine. Savannah works in the Gutmann Lab in the Department of Neurology. Here, she studided neuronal activity-dependent transcriptional regulation of brain immune function in the context of central nervous system tumors. Savannah completed her PhD at West Virginia University in the Immunology and Microbial Pathogenesis Graduate Program. She joined this program in Fall 2016 and defended her dissertation in September 2021. Savannah worked in the lab of Dr. Gordon Meares studying molecular mechanisms underlying immune and inflammatory responses in the Central Nervous System, primarily in astrocytes in response to endoplasmic reticulum stress.
International Society for Neuroimmunology
International Society for Neuroimmunology
Brisbane, Australia
American Society for Neurochemistry
American Society for Neurochemistry
Riverside, California
Dissertation Defense at WVU
Dissertation Defense at WVU
Morgantown, West Virginia
Select Conferences, Experiences, and Presentations:
Select Conferences, Experiences, and Presentations:
World Health Assembly, Geneva, Switzerland, May 2023
American Society for Neurochemistry, St. Charles, MO, USA, scientific podium presentation, June 2021 (took place virtually)
American Association for Immunologists, scientific poster presentation, May 2021 (took place virtually)
West Virginia University Graduate level Cellular Methods Course, "Why Advocacy is Important for Scientists," November 2020
West Virginia University Science Advocacy Workshop, "Communicating Science to Scientists, the Public, and Policy Makers," November 2019
International Society for Neurochemistry Conference, Montreal Canada, poster presentation, September 2019
West Virginia University Annual Stroke Symposium, Morgantown, WV, USA, award-winning scientific podium presentation, April 2019
International Society of Neuroimmunology, Brisbane, Australia, scientific podium , September 2018
West Virginia Health Policy Symposium, Moderated a panel discussion on healthy policy with university leadership and the West Virginia Secretary of Health and Human Services on how scientists, clinicians, and policy makers can improve health outcomes in West Virginia, September 2017
Outreach and Communication
Outreach and Communication
Savannah is passionate about being an advocate for promoting education, specifically STEM education. Savannah truly believes that scientific communication, when executed properly, can serve as an important tool in promoting science and medical literacy, improving healthcare outcomes, and using emerging technologies to solve real-world challenges. Savannah enjoys taking opportunities to talk about the importance of advocacy.
Recently, Savannah was the keynote speaker at West Virginia University's Immunology and Medical Microbiology graduation ceremony and appeared on the Women in Medicine and Science podcast.
Dr. Sims became interested in policy and advocacy while pursuing her PhD at West Virginia University. Here, she organized a Health Science Policy Symposium, facilitating discussions on health policy's impact on research and clinical practice. Leading Capitol Hill Day visits, she advocated for increased funding in basic science and higher education, fostering connections with representatives. Savannah organized events for graduate students to present their science to Capitol Hill staffers, enhancing communication skills. Committed to outreach, she volunteered at the National Science Bowl, visited schools to discuss science careers and vaccinations, and lectured on science advocacy.
While working as a postdoctoral researcher at Washington University in St. Louis during the COVID-19 pandemic, Savannah decided that pursuing policy and advocacy was an interest that she would like to pursue as a full-time career.
Google Sites
Report abuse