Kebreten Manaye is a Professor and Chair of Physiology and Biophysics at one of the premier Historically Black Colleges and Universities: Howard University. Kebreten is the past Director of Graduate Studies in her department and has enhanced the participation of minorities in cutting-edge STEM programs. She is co-PI of the NIH-funded Howard University Advancing Diversity in Aging Research (HUADAR) program that identifies bright minority students from STEM disciplines early during their undergraduate years. She prepares them to successfully compete for graduate studies and other professional careers through extensive mentoring and training. She also has contributed to the Center for Brains, Minds, and Machines (CBMM), one of the NSF Science and Technology Centers, and for two decades has trained and mentored promising students through the Step-Up NIH program. Dr. Manaye is a gifted mentor to her students and faculty and fosters diversity and equity in medical school. Dr. Manaye has received numerous teaching and research awards. In 2023 she was elected as the first black woman to serve as the President of the Association of Chairs of Physiology Departments.

For NeuroTech Harbor she will serve as PI. Dr. Manaye and her team’s major role is to increase the number of women and URMs innovators through outreach and education, and to enhance equity and accessibility of neuromedical solutions. Her Pathways program will expand diversity amongst neurotech innovators and increase participation by women, Black, LatinX, and communities of color.