Leadership

Office of the Director

Stephen B. Thacker, MD, MSc, USPHS
Director

Dr. Stephen B. Thacker is the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention′s Office of Science, Epidemiology and Laboratory Services (OSELS). 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).