Joanna Vivalda joined NINDS in 2013 as a Clinical Research Specialist in the Office of Clinical Research. She is the Program Official for a portfolio of research in stroke and traumatic brain injury. Other interests include regulatory and ethical considerations in research involving vulnerable populations. After graduating from the University of Pittsburgh, Joanna began her career as a critical care nurse. She later became interested in clinical research and worked in regulatory compliance for the pharmaceutical industry for a number of years before entering public service for the Department of Defense at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland.