NIDCR director on leave due to probe into her alleged behavior

The director of the U.S. National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research (NIDCR) has been on paid administrative leave for eight months while her alleged behavior is being investigated, according to a story published recently in Science Insider.

In April 2024, Dr. Rena D'Souza, MS, PhD, a dental surgeon who became NIDCR director in 2020, was placed on paid administrative leave for "broad allegations of retaliation and misconduct," according to the story.

Dr. Rena D'Souza, MS, PhD. Image courtesy of the U.S.
National Institute of Dental and Craniofacial Research.

This was the third time action was taken against D'Souza during her tenure. D'Souza was suspended for two days in December 2022 and for two weeks in July and August 2023.

In January 2024, D'Souza, the first woman of color to direct the NIDCR, sued the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the parent agency of the U.S. National Institutes of Health, alleging discrimination based on sex, race, national origin, and skin color, according to the story.

After she was placed on leave, D'Souza's deputy, Jennifer Webster-Cyriaque, was named as the NIDCR's acting director.

Before being named as director, D'Souza was the inaugural dean at the University of Utah's dental school. A year later, she was removed from that position but remained a tenured professor there until she took the NIDCR director job.

In D'Souza's lawsuit, she claims that she was suspended for allegedly mistreating subordinate employees. She alleged that she was suspended the first time after employees reported 11 inappropriate statements, including some in which race was used as a descriptive term, that she made to subordinates.

D'Souza claimed her mistakes were made in the context of discussions about racial diversity and inclusion within the agency, according to the story. Furthermore, she disputed claims that she made inappropriate comments about employees' personal lives and intimidated another employee.