Acting Director,
National Center for
Public Health
Informatics
Assistant Surgeon
General (Ret.),
USPHS
Dr. Stephen B.
Thacker is the
Acting Director of
the Centers for
Disease Control and
Prevention′s
National Center for
Public Health
Informatics (NCPHI).
In this role, Dr.
Thacker provides
critical leadership
in the application
of information,
computer science,
and technology to
improve public
health practice,
research, and
learning.
Prior to assuming
this post, he was
the Director of the
Office of Workforce
and Career
Development (OWCD),
where he served
since June 2004. As
Director of OWCD,
Dr. Thacker lead the
CDC program
responsible for
improving health
outcomes by ensuring
a competent and
sustainable
workforce through
excellence and
innovation in
workforce and career
development.
Dr. Thacker
served as director
of the Epidemiology
Program Office
(EPO), CDC in August
1989 through June
2004. As director of
EPO, Dr. Thacker 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
Center for Injury
Prevention and
Control (NCIPC) from
September 1999
through November
2000. As acting
director of NCIPC,
Dr. Thacker led the
CDC Program
responsible for
preventing and
controlling the
incidence, severity,
and adverse outcomes
of injury related to
both violent and
unintentional causes
through research,
public health
surveillance,
implementation of
programs, and
communications.
Dr. Thacker
served as acting
deputy director of
CDC and deputy
administrator of the
Agency for Toxic
Substances and
Disease Registry (ATSDR)
from February 1998
to October 1998. As
acting deputy
director of CDC, Dr.
Thacker assisted
leading the agency
of the U.S. Public
Health Service in
promoting health and
preventing disease,
injury, and
premature death.
CDC’s 11 Centers,
Institutes and
Program Offices work
closely with local,
state, and other
federal agencies to
protect public
health. As deputy
administrator of
ATSDR, Dr. Thacker
assisted in
administering the
Public Health
Service (PHS) 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 January 1993
to December 1994,
Dr. Thacker served
as acting director
of CDC’s National
Center for
Environmental Health
(NCEH). As acting
director of NCEH, 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.
He received his
undergraduate degree
in biochemistry at
Princeton University
in 1969 and his M.D.
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 July
1976 to June 1978,
Dr. Thacker served
as an Epidemic
Intelligence Service
(EIS) Officer for
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, 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).
