Gabriela Paz-Bailey, MD, PhD, MSc, DTM&H

Chief of the Dengue Branch, Division of Vector-Borne Diseases, National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID)

Gabriela Paz-Bailey, MD, PhD, MSc, DTM&H is the Chief of the Dengue Branch (DB), Division of Vector-Borne Diseases (DVBD), National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID) in San Juan, Puerto Rico. Dr. Paz-Bailey completed a degree in Medicine and Surgery at the University of San Carlos of Guatemala. She continued her graduate studies at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine in London, England, where she pursued a Master of Science in Tropical Medicine and International Health, and a PhD in Clinical Epidemiology. She joined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) in 2000 as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer.

Dr. Paz-Bailey has over two decades of experience in public health and epidemiology in the United States, Central America, Africa, and Asia. She has studied the natural history of several infectious diseases, focusing on their acquisition and response to therapies. These include tuberculosis, Chagas disease, HIV infection, hepatitis B and C viruses, herpes viruses, and arboviral diseases such as dengue and Zika. Her most recent work includes the implementation of dengue research cohorts and enhanced surveillance and obtaining Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices recommendations for the first dengue vaccine approved for use in the United States. Dr. Paz-Bailey is passionate about working on disease control and prevention and the use of science-based tools to improve public health.