Susan P. Coller Monarez (born 1974/1975) is an American health scientist who is Principal Deputy Director of the

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is the National public health institutes, national public health agency of the United States. It is a Federal agencies of the United States, United States federal agency under the United S ...

(CDC) since 2025. She is currently also serving as the Acting Director of the CDC. She was previously Deputy Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health.

Education

Monarez completed her Ph.D. at the

University of Wisconsin–Madison The University of Wisconsin–Madison (University of Wisconsin, Wisconsin, UW, UW–Madison, or simply Madison) is a public land-grant research university in Madison, Wisconsin, United States. It was founded in 1848 when Wisconsin achieved st ...

in 2003, where her research focused on developing technologies to prevent, diagnose, and treat infectious diseases, particularly those affecting low- and middle-income countries. Her dissertation explored how trypanosome GIP-SVSG regulates

macrophages Macrophages (; abbreviated MPhi, φ, MΦ or MP) are a type of white blood cell of the innate immune system that engulf and digest pathogens, such as cancer cells, microbes, cellular debris and foreign substances, which do not have proteins that ...

during '' Trypanosoma brucei rhodesiense'' infection. Monarez was a postdoctoral researcher at

Stanford University School of Medicine The Stanford University School of Medicine is the medical school of Stanford University and is located in Stanford, California, United States. It traces its roots to the Medical Department of the University of the Pacific, founded in San Fra ...

, continuing her work in the field of infectious disease research.

Career

Monarez was a Science and Technology Policy Fellow with the

American Association for the Advancement of Science The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) is a United States–based international nonprofit with the stated mission of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsib ...

. She held roles in the

Office of Science and Technology Policy The Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) is a department of the United States government, part of the Executive Office of the President of the United States, Executive Office of the President (EOP), established by United States Congres ...

and the U.S. National Security Council, where her work included initiatives to combat

antimicrobial resistance Antimicrobial resistance (AMR or AR) occurs when microbes evolve mechanisms that protect them from antimicrobials, which are drugs used to treat infections. This resistance affects all classes of microbes, including bacteria (antibiotic resista ...

, expand the use of

wearable technology Wearable technology is any technology that is designed to be used while worn. Common types of wearable technology include smartwatches, fitness trackers, and smartglasses. Wearable electronic devices are often close to or on the surface of the s ...

for health monitoring, and improve pandemic preparedness efforts. At the

U.S. Department of Homeland Security The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is the U.S. federal executive department responsible for public security, roughly comparable to the interior, home, or public security ministries in other countries. Its missions involv ...

, Monarez served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Strategy and Data Analytics, overseeing research portfolios for the Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency (HSARPA) and the

Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority The Biomedical Advanced Research and Development Authority (BARDA) is a center within the Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR) located within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) responsible for the p ...

. In this capacity, she also led international cooperative initiatives to foster bilateral and multilateral collaboration in health research and innovation. In January 2023, Monarez was appointed Deputy Director of the Advanced Research Projects Agency for Health (ARPA-H), where she led projects focused on applying

artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is the capability of computer, computational systems to perform tasks typically associated with human intelligence, such as learning, reasoning, problem-solving, perception, and decision-making. It is a field of re ...

and

machine learning Machine learning (ML) is a field of study in artificial intelligence concerned with the development and study of Computational statistics, statistical algorithms that can learn from data and generalise to unseen data, and thus perform Task ( ...

to improve health outcomes, addressing healthcare accessibility and affordability, expanding

mental health Mental health is often mistakenly equated with the absence of mental illness. However, mental health refers to a person's overall emotional, psychological, and social well-being. It influences how individuals think, feel, and behave, and how t ...

interventions, combating the

opioid epidemic in the United States There is an ongoing opioid epidemic (also known as the opioid crisis) in the United States, originating out of both medical prescriptions and illegal sources. It has been described as "one of the most devastating public health catastrophes ...

, addressing disparities in

maternal health Maternal health is the health of people during pregnancy, childbirth, and the postpartum period. In most cases, maternal health encompasses the health care dimensions of family planning, Pre-conception counseling, preconception, Prenatal care, pr ...

, and improving

organ donation Organ donation is the process when a person authorizes an organ (anatomy), organ of their own to be removed and organ transplantation, transplanted to another person, #Legislation and global perspectives, legally, either by consent while the d ...

and transplantation systems. Monarez became Acting Director of the

(CDC) and Acting Administrator of the

Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) is a federal public health agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). The agency focuses on minimizing human health risks associated with exposure to hazar ...

on January 23, 2025, after being named as the agency's Principal Deputy Director. Her leadership responsibilities at the CDC include overseeing responses to

public health Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting health through the organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals". Analyzing the de ...

emergencies and emerging diseases.

Donald Trump Donald John Trump (born June 14, 1946) is an American politician, media personality, and businessman who is the 47th president of the United States. A member of the Republican Party (United States), Republican Party, he served as the 45 ...

announced her nomination as permanent director on March 24, 2025; she is the first appointee to the position requiring confirmation by the Senate, after an amendment to the

Public Health Service Act The Public Health Service Act is a Law of the United States, United States federal law enacted in 1944. The full act is codified in Title 42 of the United States Code (The Public Health and Welfare), Chapter 6A (United States Public Health Servi ...

enacted in 2022. If confirmed, she would be the first director without a

medical degree A medical degree is a professional degree admitted to those who have passed coursework in the fields of medicine and/or surgery from an accredited medical school. Obtaining a degree in medicine allows for the recipient to continue on into special ...

since 1953.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Monarez, Susan Living people 1970s births Date of birth missing (living people) Place of birth missing (living people) University of Wisconsin–Madison alumni 21st-century American women scientists American medical researchers United States Department of Homeland Security officials Directors of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Second Trump administration personnel American women medical researchers