People

Nora D. Volkow

beta.nih.gov

Nora D. Volkow, M.D., is the director of NIDA. Her official biography describes a research psychiatrist and brain-imaging scientist whose work helped establish drug addiction as a disease of the brain. She became NIDA director in May 2003. The current official leadership page and May 2026 council minutes verify her ongoing institute leadership. Funding decisions and specific company award amounts are separate from this personnel role.