Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, Appointed CDC Director

Dr. Walensky, chief of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital, has been appointed by President-elect Joe Biden to serve as director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, moves her hands while speaking
Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, moves her hands while speaking

Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, is the chief of the Division of Infectious Diseases at Massachusetts General Hospital and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School; has conducted influential research on HIV/AIDS, making her one of the nation’s leading experts on virus testing, prevention and treatment, and has served on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic in Massachusetts, conducting research on vaccine delivery and strategies to reach underserved communities.

New Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

Dr. Walensky has been on the frontline of the COVID-19 pandemic response and has conducted influential research on HIV/AIDS. Read her transition team biography.

President-elect Joe Biden Announces Key Members of Health Team

Dr. Walensky will be part of a qualified, diverse team. Find out who has been selected to help contain the COVID pandemic and address other health threats facing the nation.

Charged Podcast: HIV—Treating a Changing Epidemic

In this podcast episode, Dr. Walensky discusses how she has worked to help expand access to care for HIV patients. Listen now.

Dr. Walensky's Biography

Rochelle Walensky, MD, MPH, is the chief of the Infectious Diseases Division at Massachusetts General Hospital, Steve and Deborah Gorlin MGH Research Scholar 2015-2020, and professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School. Dr. Walensky’s research has focused on infectious diseases and HIV/AIDS policy, including cost-effective strategies for HIV care in the U.S. and in resource-limited settings. She has also advocated for routine HIV screening both here and around the globe. She is a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the American Association of Physicians and the DHHS Panel on Antiretroviral Guidelines for Adults and Adolescents, and she is past chair of the NIH Office of AIDS Research Advisory Council. She has also been an advisor to the WHO and UNAIDS. Dr. Walensky received her MD from the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and her MPH from the Harvard School of Public Health. She trained in internal medicine at the Johns Hopkins Hospital and in infectious diseases at the MGH/BWH combined fellowship program. She is married to a physician scientist, Loren Walensky, MD, PhD, and is the mother of 3 boys: ages 15, 17 and 19.

Media Coverage

Dr. Walensky has been quoted extensively in local and national publications. Here are just some of those recent articles.

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