Organization Chart
OFFICE OF THE DIRECTOR
Karen Hacker, MD, MPH
Dr. Hacker 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.
Dr. Hacker leads an executive team that sets the strategic direction for the center’s portfolio, which focuses on:
• Surveillance and epidemiology to move data into action.
• Policy and environmental improvements to support health and healthy behaviors.
• Health care system collaboration to strengthen delivery of clinical and other preventive services.
• Links between community and clinical services to improve self-management of chronic conditions and enhance quality of life.
From 2013 to 2019, Dr. Hacker served as Director of the Allegheny County Health Department in Pennsylvania, where she was responsible for a population of 1.2 million residents in 130 municipalities, including Pittsburgh. Under her leadership, the Department achieved national public health accreditation in 2017. Dr. Hacker also launched the Live Well Allegheny initiative, aimed at reducing smoking, obesity, and physical inactivity.
Previously, Dr. Hacker was the Senior Medical Director for Public and Community Health at the Cambridge Health Alliance in Massachusetts, where she oversaw the Department of Community Affairs and directed the Population Health Agenda for achieving cost-saving health care reform. Between 2002 and 2013, she held a variety of leadership roles at the Cambridge Public Health Department and the Institute for Community Health (both part of the Cambridge Health Alliance).
Dr. Hacker received her MD from Northwestern University School of Medicine and her MPH with honors from Boston University School of Public Health.
Dana Shelton, MPH
Ms. Shelton is the Deputy Director for CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. She supports the center’s coordinated, collaborative approach to investing its resources, working across divisions and programs and with grantees and partners to offer a more comprehensive, seamless approach to advancing population health. Previously, she was the Associate Director for Policy for the Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) and the Acting Director of OSH. She joined CDC as an epidemiologist in 1991. Before coming to CDC, Ms. Shelton was a Research Associate with the Department of Community Medicine and Health Center, University of Connecticut Health Center. She received her MPH in epidemiology from the University of Connecticut School of Medicine.
Dee Wetterhall
Ms. Wetterhall is the Management Officer in CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP). She is responsible for planning, organizing, and directing the day-to-day administrative operations of NCCDPHP and serves as principal advisor to the Director on all matters related to administrative program planning and resources management. Previously, Ms. Wetterhall was Deputy Director in the Division of Reproductive Health, where she helped guide the division’s promotion of optimal and equitable health across its three priority areas of women’s reproductive health, infant health, and pregnancy health. During her more than 30 years with the agency, Ms. Wetterhall has provided expertise to a number of CDC programs, particularly in the areas of fiscal and human resources management, administration, and operations.
Tim Carney, PhD, MPH, MBA
Dr. Carney is the Associate Director for Informatics for CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP). He is responsible for the strategic direction of technology in the center and for oversight, operations, development, and security of information systems that support programs and grantees. Previously, he was the Director of Health Policy Research, Data Science and Analytics at the Satcher Health Leadership Institute in the Morehouse School of Medicine and before that the Senior Director, Data Analytics and Public Health Informatics at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials.
Dr. Carney has practiced in the field of informatics for over 15 years. Current informatics research and applied informatics practice areas include Leveraging Health IT for Health Equity/Health Disparities; Chronic Disease Surveillance; Public Health Intelligence; Computational Modeling of Social and Organizational Systems; Network Analysis; Electronic Clinical Decision Support; CBPR-Community-based Knowledge Exchange Networks; IT Needs, Capabilities, and Readiness Assessment Design; and Public Health Situational Awareness. His informatics efforts focus on the evaluation of health information technology as an agent of change in intelligent and adaptive learning health systems. Dr. Carney completed a PhD in Health Informatics from Indiana University, an MPH in Health Systems Management from Tulane University, and an MBA in Information Science and Project Management from Devry-Keller Graduate School of Management.
Sean Cucchi, MHA
Mr. Cucchi is the Associate Director for Planning, Evaluation, and Legislation for CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP). He is responsible for the policy agenda for the center, which has eight divisions and offices and a budget of about $1 billion. Mr. Cucchi most recently worked as the Legislative and Partnership Team Lead in the Office of Planning, Evaluation, and Legislation. Before joining CDC, he was the Chief of Planning and Fiscal Policy for the Georgia Department of Community Health, managing health policy and the budget for the agency responsible for Georgia’s Medicaid, State Children’s Health Insurance Program, and state employee health benefit programs. He also served as Policy Coordinator in the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget, with responsibility for developing policy and budget recommendations for Medicaid, Public Health, and Mental Health programs for Georgia’s governors. Mr. Cucchi has an MHA from the School of Public Health at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Gabbi Promoff, MA
Ms. Promoff is the Associate Director for Communication Science in the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC’s) National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP), a position she assumed in 2016. She oversees the communication portfolio for NCCDPHP, which has eight divisions and offices, more than 1,000 staff members, and a budget over $1 billion. Ms. Promoff sets the strategic direction for the center’s internal and external communication portfolio. Ms. Promoff joined CDC in 2005, working in NCCDPHP’s Office on Smoking and Health (OSH). She served as OSH’s Associate Director for Policy, providing expertise and strategic direction on tobacco control policy. Before joining CDC, Ms. Promoff worked at Golin, providing social marketing expertise for tobacco prevention and control movements to more than 10 states, as well as for the Truth Initiative’s truth® campaign. She also led the earned media efforts around OSH’s Tips From Former Smokers®, the first-ever paid national tobacco education campaign, which profiles real people who live with serious long-term health effects from smoking and secondhand smoke. Ms. Promoff has actively supported CDC’s assistance in public health emergencies, including providing communications support for the agency’s Ebola, EVALI, and COVID-19 responses. Ms. Promoff received an MA from George Washington University School of Political Management and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Emory University.
Cathleen Walsh, DrPH, MSPH
Dr. Walsh is the Associate Director for Public Health Practice for CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP). She helps develop, direct, and coordinate high-priority NCCDPHP programmatic efforts. Dr. Walsh has been with CDC since 1990, when she led teams of CDC and local public health staff in assessing STD and HIV prevention programs nationally. While with CDC’s Division of STD Prevention, she focused on using epidemiology and surveillance to guide health policy and cost-effectiveness analysis. Dr. Walsh has extensive experience in health services research. She has co-chaired the CDC Health Systems Research Workgroup and the Public Health Practice Council’s work group on Knowledge to Action. She joined the CDC Office of the Director in May 2007 to work with internal leaders and external partners in coordinating agency efforts to execute the agency’s strategic plan and later became the director of the Policy Research, Analysis and Development Office. She holds an MSPH and DrPH in health policy from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
Divisions
Division of Cancer Prevention and Control
Lisa C. Richardson, MD, MPH, Director
Dr. Richardson is the Director of the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control (DCPC) in CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, where she provides leadership and direction for all scientific, policy, and programmatic issues related to four national programs. Her public health service includes the following: medical director for the National Breast and Cervical Cancer Early Detection Program (1997–1998); medical officer in CDC’s Division of Blood Disorders (1998–2000) and later the division director; faculty member at the University of Florida in Medical Oncology working with the Florida Cancer Data System funded by CDC’s National Program of Cancer Registries (2000–2004); medical officer in the DCPC’s Epidemiology and Applied Research Branch (2004); and Team Lead for the Scientific Support and Clinical Translation Team supporting the National Comprehensive Cancer Control Program (2006–2009). From 2010 to 2013, Dr. Richardson was DCPC’s Associate Director for Science and helped set scientific priorities to maintain integrity in public health activities. Dr. Richardson received her MD from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her MPH from the University of Michigan School of Public Health.
Frances Babcock, MT, CTR, Deputy Director
Ms. Babcock has served as the Deputy Director of the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control since December 2016 and is responsible for the development of emerging initiatives, providing operational and managerial leadership, and assisting with the implementation of strategic priorities of the Division. She began her career at CDC in 2002 in the Cancer Surveillance Branch as a program consultant with the National Program of Cancer Registries. Before joining CDC, Ms. Babcock spent 10 years as the director of registry operations at the Atlanta Metropolitan NCI-SEER registry and the Georgia Comprehensive Cancer Registry at Emory University, Rollins School of Public Health. In addition to her background in cancer surveillance, she has extensive experience in the clinical and research laboratory. Ms. Babcock earned her Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Vermont.
Division of Diabetes Translation
Ann Albright, PhD, RD, Director
Dr. Albright is the Director of the Division of Diabetes Translation (DDT) in CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, where she provides leadership and direction to the science and programs conducted in DDT. Before joining CDC in 2007, Dr. Albright was the Chief of the California Diabetes Program at the California Department of Health Services and held an academic appointment at the University of California, San Francisco. She was the Senior Health Policy Advisor in the Office of the US Surgeon General and led the Secretary of Health’s Diabetes Detection Initiative. Dr. Albright lectures and has published works on several topics, including exercise, nutrition, and public health practice in diabetes prevention and management. She has served in leadership roles with the American Diabetes Association, American Association of Diabetes Educators, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and American College of Sports Medicine. She received her PhD in exercise physiology from The Ohio State University and completed an National Institutes of Health postdoctoral fellowship in nutrition at the University of California, Davis, and a clinical internship in nutrition at the University of California, San Francisco.
Donald Betts, MPA, Dep. Director
Mr. Betts is the lead management official for the division, and is responsible for planning and directing financial management and business operations, human resource management, and strategic planning. Mr. Betts has over 20 years of CDC experience, working in policy and program evaluation, adolescent and school health promotion, and health promotion for children and adults with disabilities. Mr. Betts was previously the Deputy Director for CDC’s Division of Human Development and Disability. During this time, he helped establish the first ever Associate Director for Disability Inclusion and Public Health (aka CDC’s Disability and Health Officer). Mr. Betts received a CDC/ATSDR Group Honor Award for leadership in promoting the potential of people with disabilities. He received his MPA from the University of Georgia.
Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention
Janet S. Wright, MD, FACC, Acting Director
Dr. Wright returned to CDC in December 2020 to serve as Acting Director in the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, after a 2-year detail in the Office of the Surgeon General as the Acting Director of Science and Policy. In that role, she was charged with ensuring the scientific integrity of the Office’s projects, reports, and presentations. From 2011 to 2019, Dr. Wright served as Executive Director of Million Hearts®, a national HHS initiative that CDC co-leads with CMS to prevent a million cardiovascular events over 5 years. Prior to federal service, Dr. Wright was Senior Vice President for Science and Quality at the American College of Cardiology (ACC) from 2008 to 2011. She practiced cardiology for many years in Chico, California, serving on the ACC’s Board of Trustees, NCQA’s Physician Program Committee, and the Center for Information Therapy, a nonprofit organization committed to providing personalized health information during each health encounter. She received her MD from the University of Tennessee Health Sciences Center and completed her internal medicine residency at Children’s Hospital and Adult Medical Center and her fellowship in cardiology at San Francisco General Hospital and the University of California, San Francisco.
Mattie Gilliam, Dep. Director
Ms. Gilliam is the Deputy Director of the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention. In this role, she is responsible for providing executive level management, programmatic, and operations leadership to the Division. Ms. Gilliam started her CDC career as an Office Automation Assistant in NCCDPHP. She then became a Program Operations Assistant and Public Health Analyst in the National Center for Injury Control and Prevention. Ms. Gilliam also served as a Public Health Advisor in the Program Services Branch in the Division of Cancer Prevention and Control, NCCHPHP, where she worked with grantees to administer national programs that offered breast and cervical cancer screening and diagnostics services to low-income, uninsured, and underinsured women, and to develop and implement statewide cancer plans. She then went on to become the Management Officer for the Program Performance and Evaluation Office, in the Office of the Director, CDC, where she responsible for planning and directing all aspects of administration, management and operations for the office. Just prior to her assignment to the Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention, Ms. Gilliam served as the Deputy Management Officer in the National Center for Environmental Health/Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity
Ruth Petersen, MD, MPH, Director
Dr. Petersen is the Director of the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity (DNPAO) in CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. DNPAO provides national leadership on nutrition, physical activity, and obesity prevention through policy and guideline development, surveillance, epidemiological and behavioral research, and technical assistance to states and communities. Dr. Petersen has a breadth of experience and leadership from multiple settings, including health care, local and state health departments, national advisory groups, academic settings, the private sector, and global health platforms. Her broad, deep, and diverse experience with populations, partners, and stakeholders are strong assets for leading DNPAO in its focused efforts to prevent chronic diseases through population-wide public health initiatives and health system innovations. Throughout her career, Dr. Petersen has drawn on her expertise in patient care, health system change, disease prevention, and community engagement to develop and guide programs, research, and policy to improve health behaviors and reduce chronic disease. Dr. Petersen received her MD and MPH from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. After training in obstetrics and gynecology in Rochester, NY, she completed the UNC Preventive Medicine Residency and a postdoctoral fellowship in health services research.
Ann O’Connor, MPA, Dep. Director
Ann O’Connor, MPA serves as the Deputy Director for the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity and Obesity at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention managing operations for a $94 million dollar budget to prevent and control obesity and chronic disease through regular physical activity and good nutrition. Prior to this position, Ann served as the CDC Chief of the Program Planning and Advancement unit leading many of the agency’s program development initiatives including direction for CDC Winnable Battles, the CDC Quarterly Program Review process, and the development of new program standards for CDC funding opportunity announcements. She also served the Associate Director for Policy in the Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response leading national policy and legislative activities. Before joining CDC in August 2003, Ann worked on national policy evaluations in the Office of the Inspector General for more than 15 years in a variety of positions, including Regional Inspector General, Assistant Director and senior program analyst. In this capacity, Ann published national evaluation reports on topics ranging from child support and child welfare, to Medicaid and to public health preparedness and emergency response. She received her MPA from George Mason University and her Bachelor’s degree from Saint Mary’s College in Notre Dame, Indiana.
Division of Oral Health
Casey Hannan, MPH, Director
Mr. Hannan is the Director of the Division of Oral Health (DOH) in CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP), where he is directs programs, and develops and implements policies and strategies to achieve the mission of the division. Previously, he was Chief of the Arthritis, Epilepsy, and Well-Being Branch in NCCDPHP’s Division of Population Health. Mr. Hannan also previously served as the Associate Director of Policy, Partnerships, and Communications in CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity. Since coming to CDC in 1996, Mr. Hannan has received two HHS Secretary’s Awards for Distinguished Service for developing national health objectives and health communication materials, and three Special Act of Service Awards related to his accomplishments in accountability measures, strategic planning, and national leadership conferences. He is a 30-year veteran of the public health workforce and has worked in community-based, medical center, university, and government settings. He holds an MPH from the School of Public Health at the University of Michigan.
Lisa Petersen, MS, Dep. Director
Ms. Petersen has served as Deputy Director of the Division of Oral Health since August 2013, providing oversight of the division’s budget, staffing, and business operations. She came to CDC in October 1999 as a Presidential Management Fellow in the Office on Smoking and Health, where she worked as a Public Health Analyst for 7 years in the Program Services and Evaluation branches. In 2006, she transitioned to the role of Special Advisor to the Chief Management Officer in the Coordinating Center for Environmental Health and Injury Prevention. In 2010, she joined the Office for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support as Management Officer. Along the way, she was detailed to CDC’s Office of the Chief Operating Officer in 2009 and Office of the Chief Financial Officer in 2013, supporting special projects addressing, respectively, executive recruitment and Working Capital Fund implementation. Ms. Petersen received her graduate degree in public policy and management from the University of Oregon.
Division of Population Health
Craig W. Thomas, PhD, Director
Dr. Thomas is the Director for the CDC’s Division of Population Health, a position he assumed in June 2018. For the previous 8 years, Dr. Thomas served as Director of the Division of Public Health Performance Improvement in CDC’s Office for State, Tribal, Local, and Territorial Support. In that position, he provided strategic guidance and direction on a system of performance and accountability to improve public health performance and health outcomes at the state, tribal, local, and territorial (STLT) level. Most recently, he has served as the Associate Director for Strategy with CDC’s Center for STLT Support (proposed). An expert in continuous quality improvement, program evaluation, systems thinking, multisector collaboration, and population health improvement, Dr. Thomas has more than 25 years of experience working with STLT health departments, local communities, nonprofit organizations, national public health partners, and other federal agencies. Dr. Thomas received a PhD in applied social psychology with an emphasis in applied research methods, performance measurement, and program evaluation from the Claremont Graduate University; a master’s degree in experimental psychology from California State University Fullerton; and a bachelor’s degree in biological sciences from the University of California Irvine.
Brooke Tripp, MPA, Dep. Director
Ms. Tripp is the Deputy Director for the Division of Population Health, where she provides strategic leadership, management, and oversight of DPH operations. Prior to joining DPH, she was the Management Officer and Deputy Director for Program for the Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services (CSELS) from 2014 to 2020. During her time in CSELS, she led the development and implementation of a strategic plan, led a programmatic review of all CSELS programs for efficiencies and performance metrics, addressed critical workforce needs including the recruitment and retention of a diverse workforce, and developed and implemented a communications plan for the center. Brooke received her undergraduate degree in organizational communications and political science from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her MPA from the University of Georgia.
Division of Reproductive Health
Wanda D. Barfield, MD, MPH, RADM USPHS, Director
Dr. Barfield is the Director of the Division of Reproductive Health (DRH) in CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. She is responsible for promoting CDC’s Safe Motherhood Initiative, which works for optimal and equitable reproductive health, maternal health, and infant health through research, surveillance, programs, and partnerships. Dr. Barfield joined CDC in 2000 as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer and became Director of DRH in 2010. As director, she has strengthened CDC’s Winnable Battle on Teen Pregnancy Prevention, global and domestic maternal mortality prevention, and maternal and infant health surveillance. She also helped produce a national action plan on infertility. Dr. Barfield’s research includes over 60 publications on racial disparities in preterm delivery, stillbirth, and infant health outcomes. She is an assistant professor of pediatrics at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences and an adjunct associate professor at the Emory University School of Medicine. Dr. Barfield is board-certified in both general pediatrics and neonatal-perinatal medicine and continues to provide care for critically ill newborns. She received her medical and public health degrees from Harvard University and completed a pediatrics residency at Walter Reed Army Medical Center and a neonatal-perinatal medicine fellowship at Harvard.
Victoria Wright, MPH, Deputy Director
Ms. Wright is the Deputy Director of the Division of Reproductive Health (DRH). In this role, she is responsible for providing executive level management, programmatic, and operational leadership to the Division. She previously served as the Deputy Management Officer for the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD). As part of NCIRD’s leadership team, Ms. Wright advised managers and staff on a variety of management and operational issues and oversaw administrative and budget execution activities for the Office of the Director. Ms. Wright has served as the Principal Management Official for the Antimicrobial Resistance (AR) Coordination & Strategy Unit with NCEZID’s Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion (DHQP). CDC’s Antibiotic Resistance Coordination and Strategy Unit provides strategic direction and coordination of CDC’s cross-cutting antibiotic resistance activities, as well as supporting goals set forth in the U.S. National Action Plan for Combating Antibiotic Resistant Bacteria. In this role, she led and managed CDC’s nearly $180 million operational budget, extramural resource activities, personnel and administrative processes. Prior to her work in DHQP, Victoria served in multiple leadership roles during CDC’s West Africa Ebola response, including lead for budget formulation and execution in the Ebola Policy Unit, and Deputy Director and Director of CDC’s Global Health Security and Ebola Internal Coordination Unit.
Office on Smoking and Health
Letitia Presley-Cantrell, PhD, MEd, Director (Acting)
Dr. Letitia Presley-Cantrell is the Acting Director of the Office on Smoking and Health (OSH) in CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP), where she is responsible for providing broad leadership and direction for all scientific, policy, and programmatic issues related to tobacco control and prevention. She has a wealth of experience in the field of public health, with over 30 years at CDC. Throughout her career, she has brought her extensive knowledge and expertise to the fore to assist both rural and urban communities at the local, state, and federal levels in developing, implementing, and promoting community-based public health programs. Her past work experiences include working on a diverse number of issues including cardiovascular disease, minority health, sleep, COPD, and mental health. Dr. Presley-Cantrell has received numerous awards for her contributions and leadership toward eliminating health disparities and advancing health equity. She holds a PhD from Clark Atlanta University and an MEd from the University of Georgia.
Jenny Brown, Dep. Director (Acting)
Ms. Brown is the Acting Deputy Director of the Office on Smoking and Health (OSH). In this role, she is responsible for providing for planning and directing financial management and business operations, and human resource management. Prior to joining OSH on detail, she served as Deputy Branch Chief for the Program Development and Evaluation Branch within the Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity. Ms. Brown has over 30 years of CDC experience, working in business operations, policy and issues management, and budget planning and execution. She joined CDC in 1989 as a Secretary in the Division of Reproductive Health. Over her career, Ms. Brown has worked in NCCDPHP’s Office of the Director and four divisions. She received her BS in Healthcare Management from Clayton State University.
Peter Briss, MD, MPH
Dr. Briss is the Director of the Office of Medicine and Science of CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) and the center’s Medical Director. His work focuses on enhancing the conduct, quality, communication, and impact of public health science and establishing or strengthening links between health care and public health. In 28 years at CDC, he has worked on issues ranging from health care to community prevention, including lead poisoning, vaccine-preventable disease, tobacco, cancer, heart disease, and oral health. Dr. Briss has participated in public health teaching, practice, and research at state and national levels in the United States and internationally. He completed training in epidemiology and preventive medicine at CDC, is board-certified in internal medicine and preventive medicine, and is an active clinician at Grady Memorial Hospital in Atlanta. He has authored or coauthored nearly 100 professional publications and coedited the Guide to Community Preventive Services. Dr. Briss received his MD and training in internal medicine and pediatrics at The Ohio State University and his MPH in health management and policy from the University of Michigan.
Rachel Kaufmann, PhD, MPH
Dr. Kaufmann is the Associate Director for Science for CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP). She oversees scientific quality and integrity for NCCDPHP’s programs in population health, cancer control and prevention, diabetes translation, heart disease and stroke prevention, reproductive health, physical activity and nutrition, oral health, and tobacco use. Before joining NCCDPHP in 2016, Dr. Kaufmann served in similar roles for CDC’s Center for Surveillance, Epidemiology, and Laboratory Services, CDC’s Epidemiology and Analysis Program Office, and NCCDPHP’s Office on Smoking and Health. Prior to that, Dr. Kaufmann was an epidemiologist in the Division of Reproductive Health and the Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch. She has also worked at the World Bank and the Rhode Island Department of Health and in academic settings. Her research has covered a wide range of issues, including cancer, reproductive health, heart disease, tobacco use, illicit drug use, lead poisoning, arsenic poisoning, indoor air pollution, health services, waterborne disease, and Ebola virus disease. Dr. Kaufmann has an MPH and PhD in epidemiology from the University of Michigan.
Leonard Jack, Jr, PhD, MPH
Dr. Jack was appointed Editor in Chief of Preventing Chronic Disease, a journal of CDC’s National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP), in October 2016. Previously, he was Director of NCCDPHP’s Division of Community Health (2013-2016). Before returning to CDC, from 2009-2012, he served as Associate Dean for Research; Director of the Center for Minority Health and Health Disparities Research and Education; the Endowed Chair of Minority Health and Health Disparities Research; Professor in the Division of Clinical and Administrative Sciences, College of Pharmacy; and Professor and Founding Chair of the Department of Public Health Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, at Xavier University of Louisiana. Dr. Jack held the Jim Finks Endowed Chair of Health Promotion and was Professor of Behavioral and Community Health Sciences at the Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center’s School of Public Health (2007-2009). Dr. Jack served as Lead of the Applied Behavioral Research, Epidemiology, and Systems Team and Chief of the Community Intervention Section in NCCDPHP’s Division of Diabetes Translation (2000-2006). He currently holds two adjunct appointments as Professor in the Department of Community Health and Preventive Medicine at Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta and Distinguished Professor in the Department of Public Health Sciences at Xavier University of Louisiana. Dr. Jack completed his MSc and PhD in Behavioral Sciences at The Pennsylvania State University. Dr. Jack has received numerous awards and recognitions for his contributions in advancing the discipline of behavioral health, behavioral science, health education, and health promotion.
Office of the Director
Karen Hacker, MD, MPH, Director
Dana Shelton, MPH, Deputy Director
Dee Wetterhall, Management Officer
Tim Carney, PhD, MPH, MBA, Associate Director for Informatics
Sean Cucchi, MHA, Associate Director for Policy
Gabbi Promoff, MA, Associate Director for Communication Science
Cathleen Walsh, DrPH, MSPH, Associate Director for Public Health Practice
Peter Briss, MD, MPH, Medical Director
Rachel Kaufmann, PhD, MPH, Associate Director for Science
Leonard Jack, Jr., PhD, MSc, Editor in Chief, Preventing Chronic Disease
Divisions
Division of Cancer Prevention and Control
Lisa C. Richardson, MD, MPH, Director
Frances Babcock, BS, MT, CTR, Deputy Director
Division of Diabetes Translation
Ann Albright, PhD, RD, Director
Donald Betts, MPA, Deputy Director
Division for Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention
Janet S. Wright, MD, FACC, Director (Acting)
Mattie Gilliam, Deputy Director
Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity
Ruth Petersen, MD, MPH, Director
Ann O’Connor, MPA, Deputy Director
Division of Oral Health
Casey Hannan, MPH, Director
Lisa Petersen, MS, Deputy Director
Division of Population Health
Craig W. Thomas, PhD, Director
Brooke Tripp, MPA, Deputy Director
Division of Reproductive Health
Wanda D. Barfield, MD, MPH, RADM USPHS, Director
Victoria Wright, MPH, Deputy Director
Office on Smoking and Health
Letitia Presley-Cantrell, PhD, MEd, Director (Acting)
Jenny Brown, Deputy Director (Acting)