Top CDC Public Health Leaders on Twitter

In the last few weeks we have witnessed the power of social media, especially Twitter, to quickly share information before, during and after an emergency. According to Twitter, there were a record number of tweets, totaling over 20 million, related to the Super Storm Sandy from October 27 – November 1. Keep in mind, public health information doesn’t stop when the disaster is over. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Director, Dr. Tom Frieden, along with other public health leaders, have realized the importance of this channel to complement and amplify information shared on CDC’s traditional channels. Learn key facts about CDC’s top public health leaders active on Twitter.

Dr. Tom Frieden: @DrFriedenCDC

Dr. Frieden is the CDC Director. He served as the Commissioner of the New York City Health Department from 2002-2009, directing one of the world′s largest public health agencies. He is a physician with training in internal medicine, infectious diseases, public health, and epidemiology. He began his career in public health as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer at the New York City Health Department. Follow him to stay informed on the key public health information and research findings, Grand Rounds webinars, and his monthly Twitter chats.

Dr. Chris Portier: @CDC_DrCPortier

Dr. Chris Portier is the Director of CDC’s National Center for Environmental Health and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry. He is an internationally recognized expert in the design, analysis and interpretation of environmental health data. Dr. Portier tweets about a variety of environmental health topics such as preparedness tips for various weather emergencies, information on toxic substances, and new research findings for at risk groups. Test your environmental health knowledge with the Tuesday Trivia questions he asks his followers.

Dr. Linda Degutis: @CDC_DrDegutis

Dr. Degutis is the Director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Prior to joining CDC in 2010, she was Associate Director for the Department of Emergency Medicine, and also served as Director of the Yale Center for Public Health Preparedness at the Yale School of Public Health. Her research interests have focused on injury and violence, alcohol and other drug problems and trauma. Dr Degutis shares the latest violence and injury prevention resources and research.

Dr. Colleen Boyle: @DrBoyleCDC

Dr. Boyle is Director of CDC's National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities. She began her career at CDC in 1984 after serving as a faculty member at the University of Massachusetts Program in Public Health. In 2001, she was named the Associate Director for Science and Public Health for NCBDDD and was instrumental in the development and coordination of the science activities of the National Center. A CDC Charles C. Shepard scientific award winner in 1997, Dr. Boyle shares news about the Center’s work on birth defects, disabilities and blood disorders, as well as resources for health care providers and people living with the conditions the Center studies.

Dr. Kevin Fenton: @CDC_DrFenton

Dr. Kevin Fenton is the Director of CDC's National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD and Tuberculosis Prevention. In that role since 2005, he has expanded efforts to engage, mobilize, and partner with at-risk communities to prevent disease, improve services, and address health disparities. Dr. Fenton has led a number of critical efforts to address the U.S. HIV epidemic. He is a public health leader, prevention promoter and a well recognized speaker. Dr. Fenton shares information in English and Spanish via his Twitter account.

Dr. Ali Khan: @CDC_DrKhan

Dr. Khan is the Director of CDC’s Office of Public Health Preparedness and Response. In this role, he is responsible for all of CDC’s preparedness and emergency response activities. This Office provides strategic direction, support, and coordination for these activities across CDC as well as with local, state, tribal, national, territorial, and international public health partners. Follow Dr. Khan to receive essential, up-to-date information before, during, and after public health emergencies.