H. Nelson Aguila, D.V.M., is Deputy Director of the National Cancer Institute’s (NCI) Center to Reduce Cancer Health Disparities (CRCHD). In this capacity, Dr. Aguila plays a central role in coordinating the day-to-day functions of the Center and development of strategic planning, priority-setting, and management of CRCHD’s disparities research, diversity training, and community education/outreach efforts. He oversees the Comprehensive Partnership to Advance Cancer Health Equity (CPACHE) program. The CPACHE establishes equal partnership between Minority Serving Institutions and NCI-designated Cancer Center to pursue cancer and cancer health disparities research, cancer research education and outreach to underserved communities.

Previously, Dr. Aguila served as chief of CRCHD’s Diversity Training Branch. Prior to coming to NIH, Dr. Aguila worked at the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a Reviewer Toxicologist at the Center for Veterinary Medicine. Earlier in his career, Dr. Aguila held senior research scientist positions in neuropathology at the University of Miami Medical School and later in cancer gene therapy at Aventis-Gencell.

Dr. Aguila earned his Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degree at Austral University in Chile and trained as a neurobiologist at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas.