Communications and Public Liaison

The Office of Communications & Public Liaison (OCPL) is the first source of news and information about the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS). The communications team provides a broad range of services to support the institute's groundbreaking biomedical research and to share discoveries with members of Congress, local governments, public health officials, the media, and communities across America.

Jesse M. Saffron, J.D.

Acting Director, Office of Communications and Public Liaison

Tel 984-287-3196
[email protected]

As Acting Director of OCPL, Jesse Saffron, J.D., leads a team of highly skilled professionals dedicated to effectively sharing the institute’s research with the public, media, policymakers, and scientific community. He oversees NIEHS media relations efforts, website content, social media engagement, community outreach activities, and more to build awareness of, and support for, the institute’s scientific portfolio. Among its other efforts, OCPL produces the institute’s flagship newsletter, the Environmental Factor, develops educational materials about key environmental health topics, promotes scientific research and events through graphic design and audiovisual services, handles Freedom of Information Act requests, responds to public inquiries, and assists with study participant recruitment. Prior to being selected OCPL Acting Director, Mr. Saffron served as the office’s Deputy Director, and before that, he worked as a journalist and editor in the technology and nonprofit sectors. He holds a J.D. from the University of Baltimore School of Law and a B.S. in Economics from the College of Charleston.