A public health expert, Neil leads strategic change for health systems and research funders to improve outcomes aligned with their vision and mission. He is the founder and principal of Thakur Health Sciences, LLC. Previously, Neil served as The ALS Association’s Chief Mission Officer leading their research, care services, and advocacy programs. He was the chief architect of their plan to make ALS a livable disease by finding new treatments and cures, improving quality of care, and preventing ALS. Prior to joining the Association, Neil served in the NIH Office of the Director, where he supported NIH governance and helped make NIH research more open and less burdensome. Neil also served on detail to the US Senate Special Committee on Aging, and at the VA Office of Research and Development. He holds a Ph.D. in Health Policy from Yale University School of Public Health.
Assigning persistent digital identifiers (Digital Object Identifiers, or DOIs) and using ORCIDs (Open Researcher and Contributor IDs) for key personnel to track outputs for research grants will improve the accountability and transparency of federal investments in research and reduce reporting burden.
Research funding agencies should apply the content of grant applications to AI tools to predict the future of scientific and technological breakthroughs, enhance peer review, and encourage better research investment decisions by both the public and the private sector.
The 61 million adults in the United States living with a disability deserve to engage with the world on their own terms.