Leadership

Laboratory Science Policy & Practice Program Office

May Chu, Ph.D.
Director

Dr. May C. Chu draws upon her public health laboratory, applied research experiences as well as her laboratory program policy and practice experience to lead the Laboratory Science Policy and Practice Program Office (LSPPPO). Dr. Chu began her career with CDC in the Division of Vector-Borne Infectious Diseases in Ft. Collins, Colorado as a Research Microbiologist analyzing the molecular epidemiology of dengue viruses and continued there as the chief of the Bacterial Zoonotic Diseases Diagnostic and Reference Section focusing on diagnostic/applied research on plague and tularemia and supporting diagnostic research work on borreliosis. Just before joining LSPPPO in November 2010, Dr. Chu completed 6.5 years service at the World Health Organization (WHO) where she served as team leader for Laboratory Alliances and Biosafety in the International Health Regulations Coordination Department and briefly served as the Associate Director for Laboratory Science in the Division of Preparedness and Emerging Infections, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases.

LSPPPO is positioned to champion for quality laboratory services serving the public health agenda through facilitating, coordination and supporting cross-cutting laboratory functions that impact policy and practice. A facilitated global discussion on the direction of how laboratory services should look like by “2020 and beyond” is critical in austere times against a background of rapidly evolving technological advances. The resources within LSPPPO and the strong partnerships with CDC colleagues and external stakeholders are critical to this effort. Dr. Chu serves as the Chair of the International Board of the American Society for Microbiology that focuses on promoting microbiology and to connect the microbiologists.

Dr. Chu received her B.S. from Michigan State University majoring in Microbiology and Public Health. She received her doctorate degree in Tropical Medicine and Medical Microbiology from the John A. Burns School of Medicine, University of Hawaii at Manoa.