Patricia A. Grady

Patricia A. Grady
American neuroscientist and Director of the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR).
Fields	cerebral blood flow nursing research
Institutions	National Institute of Nursing Research National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
Alma mater	Georgetown University University of Maryland
Known for	Centennial Achievement Medal Institute of Medicine Fellow of the American Stroke Association Fellow of the American Neurological Association

Patricia A. Grady is an American neuroscientist internationally recognized for her research on stroke, which specializes in cerebral blood flow, metabolism, and function. She is director of the National Institute of Nursing Research (NINR), part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in Bethesda, Maryland. Grady was elected to the Institute of Medicine in 1999 and is a member of several scientific organizations, including the Society for Neuroscience and the American Academy of Nursing. She is a fellow of the American Stroke Association and the American Neurological Association.

Grady lectures and speaks nationally and internationally on topics including future directions in nursing research, developments in the neurological sciences, and Federal research opportunities. She is widely known within NIH as a leader supporting the advances of women in science.

Before coming to NIH, Grady held several academic positions and served concurrently on the faculties of the University of Maryland School of Medicine and School of Nursing. Prior to being appointed director of NINR, Grady served as acting director of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

Grady was raised in South Florida. She excelled in science and was interested in health and decided on a career in nursing “because it gave you flexibility and the potential to carry out the profession in any number of settings and a variety of lifestyles.”

Grady earned her undergraduate degree in nursing from Georgetown University. She received her graduate degrees from the University of Maryland: a master's degree from the School of Nursing and a doctorate in physiology from the School of Medicine.

Grady has authored or co-authored numerous articles and papers on hypertension, cerebrovascular permeability, vascular stress, and cerebral edema. She is an editorial board member of the major stroke journals. Her early research projects on stroke and brain function received funding from the NIH and the Office of Naval Research. Grady presented her scientific findings in a number of national and international scientific meetings, including symposia at NIH. In 1988, the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) recruited her to become an administrator in the area of stroke.