Trump Nominates Acting Director Susan Monarez to Lead CDC

March 26, 2025

President Donald Trump nominated Susan Monarez, PhD, to serve as the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A health scientist, Monarez’s work has focused on the ethical use of artificial intelligence and machine learning to improve health outcomes, expanding access to behavioral and mental health care and addressing health disparities in maternal mortality.

Monarez became CDC’s acting director on Jan. 23 after serving as the agency’s principal deputy director. Before joining the CDC, Monarez was deputy director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H) and has held leadership roles in the White House, the Department of Homeland Security and the National Security Council.