Ashley Scales PhD, MPH

She most recently served as Director of Research Operations at the Joseph Maxwell Cleland Atlanta VA Medical Center, a role she held since August 2020. In this capacity, she led the end-to-end governance, infrastructure, and execution of the research enterprise, integrating regulatory compliance, workforce and fiscal management, informatics, and academic partnerships to ensure high-quality, mission-aligned research delivery.

Dr. Scales began her VA career in 2016 as a Pathways Intern with the Geriatrics Research, Education, and Clinical Center (GRECC) at the Palo Alto VA Medical Center. She has since held progressively responsible leadership roles, including Program Manager for the Geropsychology Program at the Palo Alto GRECC, Program Manager at the Palo Alto Cooperative Studies Program Coordinating Center, and Administrative Officer for the Atlanta VA Research Enterprise.

Dr. Scales earned her Bachelor of Science from Millsaps College in Jackson, Mississippi, and her Master of Public Health and Doctorate in Human Capital Development from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Mississippi. She is a graduate of the VHA Health Care Leadership Development Program (HCLDP), Class of 2024.