Essence Motley is a health science policy analyst in NIMHD’s Office of Science Policy, Planning, Evaluation, and Reporting. She is responsible for Executive Secretariat functions, such as managing correspondence on behalf of the NIMHD Director and Deputy Director, assisting with various congressional and legislative activities, and engaging with public and congressional stakeholder groups.

Previously, Ms. Motley was a legislative analyst in the Office of Legislative Policy and Analysis (OLPA) in the Office of the NIH Director. In her OLPA role, she served as a liaison to Congress, provided contextual information about NIH research and programs, analyzed pending legislative language, and prepared the NIH Director and other NIH principals for hearings and meetings with members of Congress. Before joining NIH, Essence served as staff assistant to former U.S. Congressman Bobby L. Rush representing the 1st District of Illinois.

Ms. Motley has a master’s degree in public health from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte.