Staff Bio
Ralph L. Abraham, VMD, MD is the principal deputy director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
Role at CDC
As principal deputy director, Dr. Abraham helps steer the agency's mission as America's frontline defender against infectious disease. He assists in aligning CDC's strategic priorities, reinforcing scientific transparency, and strengthening public trust.
Previous experience
Dr. Abraham has nearly 30 years of experience in medicine, including as a practicing family medicine physician in Richland Parish, Louisiana. Prior to his role as CDC's principal deputy director, Dr. Abraham served as the Surgeon General and Secretary of Health for the Louisiana Department of Health where he assisted with oversight of public health services provided by Medicaid and the Offices of Public Health, Behavioral Health, Citizens with Developmental Disabilities, Aging and Adult Services, Women's Health and Community Health, and Emergency Preparedness.
From 2015 to 2021, Dr. Abraham worked as a U.S. representative for Louisiana's 5th Congressional District and was a member of the House Armed Services Committee, Committee on Agriculture, and Committee on Science, Space & Technology.
Dr. Abraham was also a first lieutenant in the Army National Guard, where he was deployed on missions for the Free Burma Rangers in Burma, Syria, Iraq, and Ukraine. He engaged in medical and service missions in Afghanistan, Haiti, Africa, and the Amazon rainforest. Additionally, he served as a pilot with the Coast Guard Auxiliary and the Air Force's Civil Air Patrol Green Flag Program. He is a certified flight instructor, a graduate of the Army Flight Surgeon School at Fort Novosel in Alabama and works with Pilots for Patients to provide free air transportation to patients needing medical treatment not available to them locally.