Shelli Avenevoli

Shelli Avenevoli is an American psychologist and epidemiologist. She was the acting director of the National Institute of Mental Health from June 2024 to April 2025. She is a co-investigator on the National Comorbidity Study.

Education Avenevoli received her Ph.D. in developmental psychology from Temple University.

Avenevoli completed an National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH)-funded postdoctoral fellowship in psychiatric epidemiology at Yale School of Medicine.

Career In 2001, Avenevoli joined the NIMH intramural research program as a staff scientist in the Section of Developmental Genetic Epidemiology of the Mood and Anxiety Disorders Program. In 2005, she moved to the NIMH division of extramural research as chief of the Emotion, Mood, and Depressive Disorders Program. In 2008, Avenevoli became chief of the Developmental Trajectories of Mental Disorders Branch. Avenevoli is involved in NIMH efforts, including revising the strategic plan, re-defining the Institute’s approach to supporting research in neurodevelopment and bipolar disorder, and serving as a liaison to other agencies for special initiatives. Avenevoli is acting director of NIMH. She is a co-investigator on the National Comorbidity Study.