Executive Leadership & Expert Bios

Sonja Rasmussen, MD, MS

Deputy Director, Influenza Coordination Unit

Sonja Rasmussen, MD, MS, joined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in Atlanta in 1998 and serves as Deputy Director for CDC's Influenza Coordination Unit.

Dr. Rasmussen received her Master's degree in Medical Genetics from the University of Wisconsin and her MD degree with honors from University of Florida College of Medicine. She completed her pediatrics residency training at Massachusetts General Hospital and her fellowship training in clinical genetics at Johns Hopkins Hospital and University of Florida. She is board certified in Pediatrics, Clinical Genetics and Genetic Counseling.

She has published ten book chapters and over 140 papers in the peer-reviewed literature. She has received many awards and honors, including the Arthur S. Flemming Award in honor of outstanding men and women in the Federal Government (Scientific Category). She participated in planning for a future pandemic and subsequently in the response to 2009 H1N1 influenza, focusing on influenza’s impact on pregnant women.

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