Leadership

Laboratory Science, Policy and Practice Program Office

Shambavi Subbarao, PhD,
Associate Director for Science

Shambavi Subbarao received her M.S. and Ph.D. in Microbial Genetics from the Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India. She gained post-doctoral experience in Bacterial Genetics at the University of Kansas Medical Center and at the Rollins Research Center, Emory University prior to joining CDC in 1995. A large part of her career with CDC has been in the area of HIV/AIDS research with the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention and subsequently with the Global AIDS Program. During this time, Dr. Subbarao worked on projects in the area of molecular epidemiology of HIV globally, HIV-superinfection, pre-clinical evaluation studies for anti-HIV microbicides and non-human primate studies of pre-exposure prophylaxis. While working in the Global AIDS Program she was instrumental in advancing the knowledge, technology and quality assurance associated with early infant diagnosis of HIV infection in countries supported under the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Shambavi has published several peer reviewed research papers, two of which were nominated for the Charles C. Shepard Science Award for Laboratory and Methods and received the James H. Nakano Citation for Outstanding Scientific Papers. Shambavi has served as the Associate Director of Science (ADS) in the Division of Laboratory Science and Standards from April 2009-October 2010. In her current job as the ADS for the Laboratory Science, Policy and Practice Program Office (LSPPPO), she is responsible for providing support for laboratory science policy, scientific clearance, representing LSPPPO and its Divisions within and outside CDC on laboratory science issues and fostering collaboration between LSPPPO and other groups both within and outside the agency.