Kim D. Pruitt PhD

Kim Pruitt, Ph.D., has been named the Chief of the Information Engineering Branch (IEB) at the National Library of Medicine’s (NLM’s) National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). As head of IEB, Dr. Pruitt is responsible for NCBI’s collection, creation, analysis, organization, curation, and dissemination of data and analysis tools in the areas of molecular biology and genetics, as well as for the collection and management of bibliographic information. Dr. Pruitt leads NCBI’s more than 500 highly skilled scientific and technical staff in the design, development, and maintenance of databases, information systems, and software tools, as well as operational management of data submissions, quality checks, and data access. She is a superb example of a scientist who has used her data science background, knowledge of NLM’s mission, and extensive management skills to develop innovative products to meet the needs of our stakeholders,” said NLM Director, Patricia Flatley Brennan, RN, Ph.D.

Dr. Pruitt has been with NLM since 1998 and has taken on many roles and responsibilities during that time. In 2017, she became Acting Chief of IEB, where she established a Production Services Operating Board to communicate the status and future directions of critical services, including PubMed, PubMed Central, PubChem, ClinicalTrial.gov, GenBank, RefSeq, BLAST, Pathogen Detection, ClinVar, and dbGaP. This effort led to notable changes to guide and inform product decisions and development priorities. She brings a determination, organization, and a drive to any project she engages with,” said NCBI Director, James M. Ostell, Ph.D. “During her two years as acting chief, she has been an innovative and effective leader, implementing many new processes and programs that have enhanced IEB operations and services. Please join us in congratulating Dr. Pruitt on her new role.”