Janine Clayton, MD

Janine Austin Clayton, M.D., is the Director of the Office of Research on Women’s Health, National Institutes of Health (NIH), and Associate Director for Research on Women’s Health, NIH, in the NIH Office of the Director. She is the author of over 80 scientific publications, journal articles, and book chapters.
Prior to joining the Office of Research on Women’s Health, she was the Deputy Clinical Director of the National Eye Institute (NEI), NIH. A board certified ophthalmologist, Dr. Clayton’s research interests include autoimmune ocular diseases and the role of sex and gender in health and disease. Dr. Clayton has a particular interest in ocular surface disease and discovered a novel form of disease associated with premature ovarian insufficiency which affects young women.
A native Washingtonian, Dr. Clayton received her undergraduate degree with Honors from the Johns Hopkins University, and her medical degree from Howard University College of Medicine. She completed a residency in ophthalmology at the Medical College of Virginia and fellowship training in Cornea and External Disease at the Wilmer Eye Institute at Johns Hopkins Hospital, and in Uveitis and Ocular Immunology at NEI.

Dr. Clayton has been an attending physician and clinical investigator in cornea and uveitis at the NEI since 1996, conducting research on inflammatory diseases of the anterior segment. Her clinical research has ranged from randomized controlled trials of
novel therapies for immune mediated ocular diseases to studies on the development of digital imaging techniques for the anterior segment.
Dr. Clayton is a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine. She currently serves on the FDA Advisory Panel for Ophthalmic Devices; the medical and scientific advisory board of Tissue Banks International; and the editorial board of The Ocular Surface. She was selected as a Silver Fellow by the Association for Research in Vision and Ophthalmology and a recipient of the Senior Achievement Award from the American Academy of Ophthalmology. Dr. Clayton has received several awards from her NIH peers in recognition of her leadership. She co-chairs the NIH Working Group on Women in Biomedical Careers with the NIH Director.