Susan Monarez, Ph.D., was officially sworn in as Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) on July 31, 2025. The ceremony was conducted by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.
Monarez is the first CDC director to be confirmed by the Senate. She has a background in disaster preparedness, biosecurity, and health innovation. In her new role, she will lead efforts to prevent disease and protect against health threats both domestically and internationally.
"Dr. Monarez is a public health expert with unimpeachable scientific credentials," said Secretary Kennedy. "I have full confidence in her ability to restore the CDC's role as the most trusted authority in public health and to strengthen our nation's readiness to confront infectious diseases and biosecurity threats."
"It is a great honor to join Secretary Kennedy and his HHS leadership team," said Director Monarez. "I consider it a privilege to work alongside the public servants at CDC. Together we will strengthen and modernize the nation's public health preparedness and response through science and innovation. We will work every day at CDC to Make America Healthy Again."
Prior to this appointment, Monarez served as Acting Director of CDC and Deputy Director for the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H). In these roles, she worked on improving data collection systems as well as technologies for disease detection and treatment within HHS divisions.
Her previous experience includes positions with the Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority at HHS, Department of Homeland Security, White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, and National Security Council.
Monarez earned her doctorate in microbiology and immunology from University of Wisconsin–Madison where she focused on technology development for preventing, diagnosing, and treating infectious diseases. She completed postdoctoral research at Stanford University School of Medicine.
The CDC’s mission includes protecting lives through timely information sharing, identifying disease outbreaks quickly, supporting national security efforts related to health threats, investing in local initiatives across communities nationwide, advancing scientific research in public health fields such as chronic or acute illnesses whether they originate naturally or from deliberate actions.
