Doctor and scientist Rochelle Walensky is the current Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. Her role as Director is a challenging one and has, in the past, been criticized for lack of transparency and poor communication; and given that a new pandemic had begun tearing through the country prior to her nomination, it would seem daunting for any expert. Walensky was honored to accept the challenge.
“I began my career at the height of the HIV/AIDS crisis and I’ve spent my life ever since working to research, treat, and combat infectious diseases. I’m honored to be called to lead the brilliant team at the CDC. We are ready to combat this virus with science and facts,” she said in a December 2020 Twitter post.
Walensky’s extensive education was instrumental to her nomination. In 1991, she earned her Bachelor of Arts in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology from Washington University in St. Louis. In 1995, she earned her Doctor of Medicine from Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and from 1995 to 1998 she trained in Internal Medicine at Johns Hopkins Hospital. She then went on to become a fellow in the Massachusetts General Hospital/Brigham and Women's Hospital Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program. In 2001, she earned her Master of Public Health in Clinical Effectiveness from the Harvard School of Public Health.
After earning her MPH, Walensky joined the faculty of Harvard Medical School, where she was a Professor of Medicine. Her research has focused on HIV testing, care, and prevention strategies to inform policy, vaccine delivery, and ways to reach underserved communities. An influential scholar, Walensky has authored more than 200 scientific publications. The value she places on the testing and treatment of deadly viruses has made her a well-respected expert.
She is a past Chair of the Office of AIDS Research Advisory Council at the National Institutes of Health, Chair-elect of the HIV Medical Association, and previously served as an advisor to both the World Health Organization and the Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS.