Liberty (Libby) Walton joined the ODP as a Health Science Policy Analyst in September 2020. In this role, Ms. Walton helps advance ODP portfolio analysis efforts and leads efforts to assess the impact of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) prevention research investments. She also uses portfolio analysis to assess ODP’s co-funding portfolio, inform funding opportunity announcement development and Scientific Interest Group-related activities, and inform other trans-NIH and external stakeholder collaborative activities.  

Prior to joining the ODP, Ms. Walton was a Public Health Analyst at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) where she served as a Public Health Analyst in the Policy, Planning, and Evaluation Branch. At NIAID, Ms. Walton led several large-scale evaluations across the Institute and trans-NIH, assessing both scientific programs and administrative processes. She began her career at NIH in 2010 as an At-Large Presidential Management Fellow, completing rotations with NIAID, Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, National Institute on Aging, National Cancer Institute, the NIH Office of the Director, the NIH Clinical Center, and the Pittsburgh VA. 

Ms. Walton holds a Master of Public Health in Behavioral Sciences and Health Education from Emory University, as well as a Bachelor of Science in biology with a minor in business from John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio. She has a wide range of interests within the field of public health, and she is particularly interested in reducing health disparities and improving the health of underserved communities.