Dr. Russ Shilling joined ARPA-H as a Program Manager in September 2026, bringing a career spanning behavioral science, neuroscience, education, and emerging technology. A retired U.S. Navy Captain and aerospace experimental psychologist, he led research and transitioned new capabilities at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Office of Naval Research. His work pioneered the use of games, artificial intelligence, virtual environments, and other emerging technologies to advance psychological health, education, human performance, and the detection and treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in service members and veterans.
Shilling later served as Executive Director of STEM at the U.S. Department of Education and Chief Scientific Officer of the American Psychological Association. He has also developed child wellbeing initiatives with Sesame Workshop, applied his DARPA experience to philanthropic education programs, and brings extensive experience and personal perspective in autism and neurodevelopmental research.
He earned a Ph.D. in experimental psychology from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.