CUNY Institute for Health Equity (CIHE) Inaugural Speaker’s Series on:
Health Equity and Health Disparities

Dr. Dionne Toombs is the Director for the Office of the Chief Scientist (OCS). In this role, she provides leadership on a wide range of issues affecting science programs and science policy in agricultural research, education, and economics. Dr. Toombs joined OCS after serving as the Director of the Division of Nutrition at the National Institute of Food and Agriculture (NIFA) where she led a collaboration of nutrition science leaders across the USDA. Under her leadership, the Division provided direction in science policy and program development to ensure the safety of America’s food supply and the availability of healthy food to its citizens.
Prior to that role, Dr. Toombs served as the National Program Leader for NIFA’s Agriculture Food and Research Initiative (AFRI), leading large competitive grant programs to fund research into nutrition, food science and technology, and food safety.
Dr. Toombs received her Ph.D. in Nutritional Sciences from Howard University. She earned her Master of Science degree from Alabama A & M University and her Bachelor of Science degree in Biology from Bethune-Cookman University.