The CDC Leaders

“I want to build on CDC′s vision of where we′re going and how workforce development fits into that long-term view.”

—Stephen B. Thacker, MD, MSc

 

Stephen B. Thacker, MD, MSc, ASG/RADM (Ret.), USPHS

Director for Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services

Stephen B. Thacker, MD, MSc, is the Deputy Director for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Director of the Office of Surveillance, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services. Prior to this position, Dr. Thacker served as the Director of the Office of Workforce and Career Development from 2004–2010.

Dr. Thacker served as Director of the Epidemiology Program Office (EPO) from 1989–2004. As Director of EPO, he led the CDC program responsible for domestic and international training and consultation in epidemiology, statistics, and applied public health, as well as scientific communications.

Dr. Thacker served as acting director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC) from 1999–2000. As Acting Director of NCIPC, he led the CDC program responsible for transforming public health systems through innovation and leadership in public health informatics.
Dr. Thacker served as Acting Deputy Director of CDC and Deputy Administrator of ATSDR in 1998. As Acting Deputy Director, he provided leadership in promoting health and preventing disease, injury, and premature death. As Deputy Administrator of ATSDR, Dr. Thacker assisted in administering the Public Health Service agency created by the Superfund law to prevent or mitigate adverse human health effects and diminished quality of life resulting from exposure to hazardous substances in the environment.

From 1993–1994, Dr. Thacker served as acting director of CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health. He led the CDC program responsible for prevention of premature death, illness, and disability due to environmental factors outside the workplace with programs developed on the foundations of epidemiology, laboratory science, and behavioral science.

Dr. Thacker received his undergraduate degree in biochemistry at Princeton University in 1969 and his medical degree from Mount Sinai School of Medicine in 1973. He completed residency training in family medicine at the Duke University School of Medicine in 1976, and was certified by the American Board of Family Practice in 1977. At Duke, Dr. Thacker was also a Robert Wood Johnson clinical scholar. From 1976–1978, Dr. Thacker served as an Epidemic Intelligence Service officer, CDC, stationed at the Washington, D.C. Health Department. In 1984, he was awarded an M.Sc. in epidemiology from the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine and received certification from the American Board of Preventive Medicine. He currently holds appointments at both Emory University School of Medicine and the Mount Sinai School of Medicine.

Dr. Thacker has published in a broad range of fields in public health, including epidemiology, public health surveillance, meta-analysis, infectious diseases, environmental public health, injury prevention, alcohol abuse, health care delivery, web development, and technology assessment.

Dr. Thacker is a retired Commissioned Officer in the U.S. Public Health Service and is currently holding the grade of Assistant Surgeon General (Rear Admiral, Upper Half).