Michele Pastorek

Michele Pastorek serves as a key procurement professional within the National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA), part of the National Institutes of Health, where she manages complex research and technical acquisitions aligned with the agency’s mission to advance scientific understanding of substance use disorders. She oversees the acquisition of specialized laboratory equipment, analytical instrumentation, and scientific consulting services critical to translating neurobiological research into clinical and public health applications. Her portfolio primarily supports high-impact research initiatives, including neuroimaging, behavioral analysis, and biological product development, ensuring that NIDA’s scientific priorities are enabled through timely and compliant contracting practices. Pastorek maintains enduring relationships with leading academic and research institutions, including The McLean Hospital Corporation, the University of Maryland, Baltimore, the University of Miami, the University of Pittsburgh, and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. These partnerships reflect a strong emphasis on collaborative, institution-based research support, often involving specialized equipment procurement, technical services, and laboratory infrastructure. Her contracting approach prioritizes long-term scientific continuity, frequently engaging institutions with established track records in NIH-funded addiction research. Her contracting patterns show a strong preference for open competition, with approximately 78.8% of awards issued without set-asides, reflecting the technical complexity and specialized nature of the requirements. Nevertheless, she consistently allocates about 21.1% of awards to total small business set-asides under FAR 19.5, demonstrating a deliberate commitment to expanding opportunities for small businesses capable of delivering precision instrumentation, analytical services, and technical consulting. Her primary procurement focus centers on NAICS 334516 (analytical laboratory instruments), 811210 (electronic equipment repair), and 325414 (biological product manufacturing), underscoring deep technical expertise in neuroscientific tools, diagnostic systems, and laboratory maintenance services. She regularly procures high-precision equipment for drug metabolism studies, neurochemical analysis, and behavioral monitoring systems, ensuring NIDA’s research infrastructure remains at the forefront of addiction science.