Natasha Lugo-Escobar

Natasha Lugo-Escobar is the Director of Postbac and Summer Programs. She also serves as an educational advisor, assisting postbacs who are preparing to go graduate school. Natasha has over nine years of experience managing research and educational training programs for recent high school and college graduate students. Throughout her career, she has demonstrated her commitment to mentoring and outreach and empowering the next generation to reach their full potential as they pursue careers in biomedical fields. Additionally, she serves as co-advisor of the NIH SACNAS Chapter, where she supports initiatives to promote a more welcoming and inclusive environment for trainees at the NIH.

Natasha started her career as a chemist, receiving her B.S. in Chemistry from the University of Puerto Rico, Rio Piedras Campus. She went on to complete a Ph.D. in Physiology, with a focus on neuroscience, from the University of Puerto Rico, Medical Sciences Campus. She completed her postdoc at the National Institute on Drug Abuse before joining OITE in 2013.