Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Acting Chief Susan Monarez, Who Is Not A Physician, Tapped To Lead CDC
After the chaotic withdrawal of President Trump鈥檚 previous nominee to lead the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the president selected the CDC鈥檚 acting director, Susan Monarez, to lead the agency. Monarez would be the first CDC director since 1953 not to have a medical degree. She has a B.S. and Ph.D. in microbiology from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. (Owermohle and Branswell, 3/24)
Susan Monarez has previously held several prominent positions within the U.S. government. She served as deputy director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), where she led initiatives in artificial intelligence and health technology. She has also held roles at the Department of Homeland Security and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. This nomination is notable as Monarez would be the first CDC director to require Senate confirmation, following a law change in 2022. (Whisnant and Adeosun, 3/24)
