Ralph Abraham, M.D., was sworn in as Principal Deputy Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) by Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. on December 15, 2025. Dr. Abraham will begin his new role at CDC headquarters in Atlanta on January 5, 2026.
Dr. Abraham brings nearly three decades of medical experience to the position. Most recently, he served as Surgeon General of Louisiana. In his new capacity, he will support efforts to align the CDC with its mission to protect Americans from infectious diseases.
“The CDC’s foremost duty is to protect the American people from infectious disease,” said Secretary Kennedy. “Dr. Abraham recognizes that responsibility. He brings the integrity, courage, and decades of medical experience required to restore the CDC’s standing as the world’s most trusted defender of public health.”
Jim O’Neill, Deputy Secretary and Acting CDC Director, commented: “CDC has turned a corner and refocused on its core mission of defending America and the world against infectious disease. It is also advancing Secretary Kennedy’s mission to make America healthy again. I am delighted to have Dr. Abraham’s clinical and scientific expertise to accelerate radical transparency and make CDC the best it can be.”
Dr. Abraham stated: “I am honored to join Secretary Kennedy and Deputy Secretary O’Neill in their mission to reform the CDC. By putting sound science first — and checking our ideologies at the door — we can make the CDC a model for the world in infectious disease tracking, prevention, and treatment.”
Dr. Abraham earned his veterinary degree from Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine before completing his M.D. at Louisiana State University School of Medicine and practicing family medicine for several years. From 2015 through 2021, he represented Louisiana’s fifth congressional district in Congress where he participated on committees including Armed Services; Agriculture; and Science, Space, and Technology.
As Louisiana's Surgeon General, Dr. Abraham was responsible for developing health policy initiatives focused on disease prevention while working with various state agencies to improve health outcomes within Louisiana communities. He has also contributed time volunteering on humanitarian missions abroad in locations such as Afghanistan, Haiti, Africa, and South America.
