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Women at the Helm

The Directors of the Office of Research on Women’s Health

The fact that health touches so many aspects of your life, whether the seatbelt design is appropriate for you as a woman is a health issue—it's not just a transportation issue. So, I do see health everywhere…But I see that as opportunities everywhere.

Janine Clayton, 2026

A woman stands behind a podium on the left side of the image. On the right, the first row of the audience is seen sitting in chairs.

Vivian Pinn (left) speaks at the 4th Annual Vivian Pinn Symposium while Janine Clayton (right) sits in the audience.

Established in 1990, the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH) coordinates and directs research on women’s health across the National Institutes of Health (NIH). As the first Health and Human Services (HHS) office dedicated to women’s health, ORWH had no precedent for it could accomplish upon its establishment.

Two women pose in front of a poster. The poster has an image of the older woman and identifies the event as the Vivian Pinn Symposium. Both women are wearing light pink skirt suits.

Due in part to a pair of visionary directors, Drs. Vivian W. Pinn and Janine Austin Clayton, the Office exceeded all expectations by finding novel ways to expand women’s health research and create new opportunities for female scientists.

Pinn and Clayton at the second annual Vivian W. Pinn Symposium, 2017

In 2026, ORWH Directors Dr. Vivian W. Pinn (1991-2011) and Dr. Janine Austin Clayton (2012-Present) joined Curator and Collections Manager Devon Valera from the Office of NIH History and Stetten Museum to discuss the history of women’s health at NIH. With a particular focus on their unique relationship, Pinn and Clayton reflected on what it meant to lead ORWH and how their work continues to impact women’s lives.

For a full transcript of this interview, please see the oral history page. To learn more about each director, please visit their individual pages through the links below.

Also see

  • Vivian Pinn Interview

    The first director of the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH), Dr. Vivian W. Pinn served in the role from 1991-2011.

  • Janine Clayton Interview

    In 2012, Dr. Janine Austin Clayton became the second director of the Office of Research on Women’s Health (ORWH).