CDC Leadership

Leandris Liburd, PhD, MPH, MA, has served as the Associate Director for Minority Health and Health Equity for CDC/ATSDR since 2011. In this capacity, she leads and supports a wide range of critical functions in the agency’s work in minority health, health equity, and women’s health.

Denise Cardo, MD, is the Acting Director for the Center for Global Health (CGH) where she leads CDC’s global efforts to protect and improve health through science, policy, partnership, and evidence-based public health action. Dr. Cardo’s permanent role is as the director of the Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP) in CDC’s National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID).

Henry Walke, MD, MPH, is the Director of the Center for Preparedness and Response (CPR). In this role, he supports CPR’s three divisions and the Office of the Director to prepare for, respond to, and improve performance in domestic and global public health emergencies.

Celeste Philip, MD, MPH, is the acting director of the Center for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support (CSTLTS) and the Deputy Director for Non-Infectious Diseases (DDNID) at CDC. CSTLTS is CDC’s connection to health officials and leaders of public health agencies, as well as other government leaders who work with health departments.

Rebecca Bunnell, PhD, MEd, is the Director of CDC’s Office of Science. Since joining CDC in 1996 as an EIS Officer in the Division of STD Prevention, Dr. Bunnell has held key CDC positions in Atlanta, California, Uganda, and Kenya.

Leslie Ann Dauphin, PhD, is the Director of the Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services (CSELS) at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) where she leads CDC’s efforts to track America’s health, strengthen laboratory networks, and help public health officials identify urgent health threats.

Brian C. Moyer, PhD, is the Director for the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), which is the nation’s principal source for health statistical information to guide actions and policies to improve the health of people. In this role, he is responsible for providing leadership for a wide-range of programs, including research and analysis in health and vital statistics, epidemiology, and related health and statistical sciences.

Karen Remley, MD, MBA, MPH, FAAP, is the Director for the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD). She has more than 30 years of experience in public health and health care, with leadership roles in the public and private sectors. Her “north star” has always been children and families, and she has shaped her career around helping every family have the best opportunity for health and well-being.

Karen Hacker, MD, MPH, is the Director of CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP), a position she assumed in August 2019. NCCDPHP has an annual budget of about $1.2 billion and more than 1,000 staff members dedicated to preventing chronic diseases and promoting health across the life span.

Robin M. Ikeda, MD, MPH, is the Acting Director for the National Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. As part of this role, Dr. Ikeda leads CDC’s efforts to investigate the relationship between environmental factors and health. She is also the Associate Director for Policy and Strategy at CDC where she supports the policy, performance, and strategy across CDC.

Christopher Jones, PharmD, DrPH, MPH (CAPT, USPHS), is the Acting Director for the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control (NCIPC), and a captain in the US Public Health Service. When not serving as the Acting Director, Dr. Jones is the Deputy Director of NCIPC.

José R. Romero, MD, is the Director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, where he leads CDC’s efforts to detect, prevent, and respond to vaccine-preventable and respiratory infectious disease threats.

Daniel Jernigan, MD, MPH, is the acting director of the National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID). In his permanent position at CDC, Dr. Jernigan serves as the Deputy Director for Public Health Science and Surveillance (DDPHSS).

Jonathan Mermin, MD, MPH, is the Director of the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP), and a Rear Admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service. He oversees the nation’s efforts to prevent HIV, viral hepatitis, sexually transmitted diseases, and tuberculosis.