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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

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 As of August 2025, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) is undergoing restructuring. This guide reflects CDC’s structure as of January 2025.

This profile focuses on the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) in the Dep. of Health and Human Services (HHS). For a more general overview of HHS and its relevance to biosecurity, see:

Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)

HHS plays a crucial role in healthcare, public health, medical research, and social services. The department is responsible for preparing for and responding to biological threats of any kind, including via agencies like CDC, ASPR, NIH, and FDA.

Overview

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), an operating division of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), provides public health leadership through epidemiology, surveillance, and emergency response to health threats. CDC plays an especially significant role in outbreak response. 

CDC’s mission in biosecurity involves prevention, detection, and response. Its focus includes both naturally occurring outbreaks and bioterrorism threats, strengthening public health systems domestically and globally, advancing laboratory capabilities and biosafety/biosecurity practices, developing and deploying disease surveillance systems, and coordinating with other agencies and international partners on biosecurity efforts. CDC is the primary funder of state and local public health activities in all 50 states and territories.

Background on CDC

  • Government context: CDC is one of 13 operating divisions within the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), which is one of 15 executive departments in the US government.
  • Mission: “As the nation’s health protection agency, CDC saves lives and protects people from health threats. To accomplish our mission, CDC conducts critical science and provides health information that protects our nation against expensive and dangerous health threats and responds when these arise.” 
  • Main activities: disease detection and prevention, public health research, emergency preparedness and response, data and analytics, health promotion, environmental health, occupational safety, and global health security
  • Budget: ~$9.2BN
  • Staff: ~14,000 employees in the US and around the world
  • Brief history: founded in 1946 as the Communicable Disease Center, focusing initially on malaria control; over time, it expanded to include all aspects of public health and disease prevention. The agency has played a central role in major public health events, polio eradication, the fight against tuberculosis, the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and, more recently, responses to global outbreaks such as H1N1 influenza, Ebola, and COVID-19.

Organizational structure

CDC is led by a Director appointed by the President and, beginning in 2025, is confirmed by the Senate. The Director is supported by the Immediate Office of the Director (IOD), which serves as the central administrative and executive office overseeing the organization’s operations, setting strategic priorities, and ensuring the agency’s mission is carried out effectively.

CDC is organized into centers, institutes, and offices, which report to the IOD: 

  • Centers are specialized units that focus on a particular area of health, such as infectious diseases, chronic disease, or environmental health. 
  • Institutes are similar to centers but typically have a broader focus that may encompass multiple health topics. 
  • Offices provide administrative support and facilitate coordinating CDC’s activities, focusing on operational, policy, and strategic functions rather than specific health issues.

CDC also has a network of regional and country offices in over 70 countries, allowing it to detect and respond internationally and deploy additional staff when emergencies arise. These offices partner across a broad range of public health and biosecurity activities and many have existed for decades.

Source: CDC

Biosecurity and pandemic preparedness in CDC

CDC plays a leading role in biosecurity efforts, with responsibilities spanning from laboratory safety to global health security initiatives. Areas of focus include:

  1. Disease surveillance: the agency operates multiple surveillance systems to detect and monitor biological threats, including the National Syndromic Surveillance Program (NSSP), the National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS), and the National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS).
  2. Biosafety: CDC sets standards for laboratory safety and security across the US, which are often widely applied as a global gold standard, helping prevent and detect accidental or intentional release of dangerous pathogens, including via the Laboratory Response Network (LRN). CDC also co-manages with USDA the Federal Select Agent Program (FSAP), which regulates the possession, use, and transfer of biological agents and toxins that threaten public, animal, or plant health.
  3. Global health security: through its global disease detection programs and partnerships, CDC works to identify and contain outbreaks at their source before they become global threats.
  4. Emergency operations: CDC plays a key role in coordinating responses to public health emergencies, including potential biosecurity threats, primarily through the Emergency Operations Center in CDC’s Office of Readiness and Response.
  5. Research and innovation: CDC conducts and supports research on emerging infectious diseases, vaccine development, and diagnostic technologies critical for biosecurity, including via its Prevention Research Centers (PRC).

2022 National Biodefense Strategy and Implementation Plan

In 2022, the White House published the government-wide National Biodefense Strategy and Implementation Plan. The plan provides a helpful overview of the role of various departments and agencies in US biosecurity planning, assigning them roles as “Lead” or “Support” for each sub-goal. CDC is one of the few agencies specifically named in the plan, underscoring its critical role in preparing for and responding to biological threats. 

CDC responsibilities from the 2022 National Biodefense Strategy

  1. GOAL 1 (p. 18): Enable risk awareness and detection to inform decision-making across the biodefense enterprise
  2. GOAL 2 (p. 22): Ensure biodefense enterprise capabilities to prevent bio incidents. 
    1. 2.2.1. Promote Safe and Secure Biological Laboratories and Practices (Support)
    2. 2.2.2. Strengthen Responsible Conduct for Biological Research (Support)
    3. 2.2.3. Accelerate biosafety and biosecurity innovation (Support)
    4. 2.2.5 Reduce Zoonotic Pathogen Spillover (Lead)
  3. GOAL 3 (p. 26): Ensure biodefense enterprise preparedness to reduce the impacts of bioincidents.
    1. 3.1.1. Invest in Domestic Public Health Capacities (Lead)
    2. 3.1.2. Strengthen Capacities to Combat Emerging and Zoonotic Disease (Lead)
    3. 3.1.3. Promote Evidence-Based Health Communication to the Public (Support)
    4. 3.2.3. Rapid, Low Cost, Point-of-Need Tests (Support)
    5. 3.3.1. PPE Capacity (Support)
    6. 3.3.2. PPE Innovation (Support)
    7. 3.4.4. Vaccine Administration and Allocation (Support)
    8. 3.5.3. Controlling Counterproductive Responses to Infection (Support)
    9. 3.6. Additional Actions (Lead)
  4. GOAL 4 (p. 33): Rapidly respond to limit the impacts of bioincidents.
    1. 4.1.3 Coordinate Real-Time Research for Response (Support)

During the COVID-19 pandemic, CDC played a central role by providing public health guidance, coordinating disease surveillance, and facilitating the distribution of vaccines. It worked closely with state, tribal, local, and territorial health departments to track infection rates, identify emerging variants, and develop testing protocols. CDC also issued guidelines for social distancing, mask use, and hygiene practices to reduce transmission. Its role extended to managing public health communications and supporting healthcare systems overwhelmed by patient surges. CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP), in partnership with FDA, also played a role in vaccine recommendations. Visit the CDC timeline for a more detailed account of the agency’s actions during the pandemic. 

More recent biosecurity-related developments are listed below (not comprehensive):

Major recent biosecurity-related developments at CDC

  1. April 2024: CDC publishes its risk assessment and actions against the outbreak of highly pathogenic avian influenza A (H5N1).
  2. May 2023: CDC testifies to Congress about several biosecurity-related advancements post-COVID, including: reducing scientific review clearance time for CDC publications by 50 percent; initiating CDC’s Infectious Disease Test Review Board (an internal group to promote quality assurance prior to national deployment of laboratory tests); and reducing application times for access to investigational drugs from 14 days to 6 hours.
  3. August 2022: CDC launches CDC Moving Forward to build on lessons from challenges during COVID-19 and improve the agency’s ability to respond to public health threats, leading to significant reorganization and funding reallocations. This includes reforms emphasizing equity and its role in effective and resilient public health systems.
  4. April 2022: CDC launches the new Center for Forecasting and Outbreak Analytics (CFA). CFA uses data, infectious disease modeling, and analytics to improve CDC and its public health partners’ responses to emerging public health threats.
  5. December 2019: CDC Launches the Data Modernization Initiative (DMI) to improve public health data and systems at the national, state, tribal, local, and territorial levels.

CDC offices working on biosecurity policy

CDC comprises over 20 centers, institutes, and offices. Included below are several of these components which appear especially relevant to biosecurity (non-exhaustive):

CDC biosecurity-related centers, institutes, and offices

  • Office of Readiness and Response (ORR): works with federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial partners to monitor risks and deploy emergency management expertise and resources to protect public health during crises.
  • National Center for Emerging and Zoonotic Infectious Diseases (NCEZID): works to prevent and control infectious diseases, focusing on those that cross between animals and humans. Wide in scope, NCEZID’s divisions span topics including: global movement; diseases spread through food, water, and the environment; high-risk pathogens like Ebola; parasitic diseases, and vector-borne diseases. NCEZID is also the locus of much of CDC’s work on lab, next generation sequencing, and advanced molecular detection.
    • Office of Advanced Molecular Detection (AMD): works to modernize disease-investigation capabilities by building and integrating laboratory, bioinformatics, and epidemiology technologies across CDC and in state and local public health systems. 
    • One Health Office: leads CDC’s domestic and international One Health initiatives, which focus on the intersection of human, animal, and environmental health. 
  • Global Health Center: coordinates and leads all CDC global health activities, including capacity building, communications and diplomacy, and surveillance.
    • Division of Global Health Protection (DGHP): leads CDC’s global efforts to protect against international disease threats. DGHP works with partner countries to build core public health capacities, strengthen laboratory systems, and improve emergency response capabilities.
  • Office of Laboratory Science and Safety (OLSS): provides expertise and leadership in laboratory safety programs, oversees their implementation and evaluation across CDC, ensures compliance with CLIA regulations, and strengthens the clinical and public health laboratory system by improving safety, quality, informatics, and workforce competency. Oversees the Laboratory Response Network (LRN).
  • Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology (OPHDST): works to improve access to and use of public health data. Includes management of the National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS), National Syndromic Surveillance Program (NSSP), National Wastewater Surveillance System (NWSS), and National Notifiable Diseases Surveillance System (NNDSS).
  • National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD): focuses on preventing and addressing outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases. NCIRD also has developed several disease surveillance systems. Relevant offices include the Division of Viral Diseases (DVD), the Immunization Services Division (ISD), the Influenza Division (ID), and coronavirus and other respiratory viruses (CORVD).
  • The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH): conducts research on occupational health and safety problems. NIOSH also plays a role in preparing for, responding to, and studying chemical, biological, radiological, and natural disasters. During COVID-19, NIOSH certified respirators to meet healthcare needs and provided updated safety guidelines for key industries. NIOSH would likely be involved in establishing indoor air quality standards and PPE guidelines.
    • The National Personal Protective Technology Laboratory (NPPTL): conducts research, develops guidance and recommendations, disseminates information, and responds to requests for workplace health hazard evaluations. Works to improve PPE and PPT (personal protective technology), focusing on respiratory protection. They also run the Respirator Approval Program.
    • Emergency Preparedness and Response Program (EPR): prepares for, responds to, and researches chemical, biological, radiological and natural disasters. EPR integrates occupational safety and health into emergency planning and response to protect response and recovery workers.
  • National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD and TB Prevention (NCHHSTP): works to reduce incidence of infection, morbidity and mortality, and health disparities in the US and abroad related to HIV, viral hepatitis, STD, and tuberculosis. Focuses on addressing system-level root-causes, including public health surveillance, grassroots disease prevention funding, harm-reduction strategies, and developing data, educational, and communication materials to support clinicians and high-risk groups.
  • Administration for Strategic Preparedness and Response (ASPR): leads efforts in bioterrorism preparedness, pandemic response, and disaster recovery through the development, stockpiling, and distribution of medical countermeasures; sending clinical response teams to places in times of crisis; coordinating responses to health threats; and establishing emergency preparedness programs. In March 2025, HHS announced a major departmental restructuring that transferred ASPR to CDC.

Working at CDC

CDC offers diverse career opportunities across its divisions, including roles in public health, research, policy, and administration. CDC’s headquarters are in Atlanta, Georgia, but many staff also work out of Washington, DC. Relevant backgrounds include epidemiology, microbiology, public health, biodefense, and related fields. Experience in emergency management, global health, or laboratory sciences can also be valuable.

Open positions can be found on CDC’s Careers page or by visiting USAJOBS and filtering for “Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.” Visit CDC’s Recruitment Tools page for detailed advice and guidance for applying to the agency. Some CDC offices and divisions have their own career pages, such as CFA. Follow CDC on LinkedIn to stay updated on new job postings and activities.

Early-career opportunities, such as internships and fellowships, can be found on CDC’s Student Internships & Jobs. CDC also provides pages dedicated to both short-term and full-time entry-level opportunities.

Notable early-career opportunities (e.g. internships, fellowships) at CDC include:

There’s a list of fellowship and internship programs here, which are omitted from this narration.

  • CDC (internships):
    • Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS): a 2-year full-time post-graduate fellowship in applied epidemiology at CDC’s headquarters in Atlanta for MD or PhD graduates, typically with MPH degrees—EIS officers are referred to as CDC’s on-call “disease detectives”.
    • CDC / Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists (CSTE) Applied Epidemiology Fellowship (AEF): designed after the Epidemic Intelligence Service, AEF is a 2-year paid fellowship program for those with a masters or doctoral degree in epidemiology or related field for training in applied epidemiology and public health at a state or local health agency.
    • CDC Prevention Effectiveness Fellowship: a two-year post-doctoral research fellowship focusing on health economics, decision science, and disease modeling. This fellowship offers a Traditional Track and Analytics and Modeling Track. The fellowship builds CDC’s ability to assess the effectiveness of public health interventions and evidence-based decision-making. It recruits the majority of economists and disease modelers at CDC.
    • APHL-CDC Fellowships: a 1-2 year paid fellowships in collaboration with public health laboratories including on topics related to biosecurity and biosafety, emergency preparedness and response, environmental health (including wastewater pathogen monitoring), and infectious disease.
    • Ferguson Emerging Infectious Diseases Research Initiatives for Student Enhancement (RISE): a CDC-funded fellowship with summer, 6-month, and 12-month, part-time and full-time programs that place fellows at their partner organizations, including CDC. 
    • Public Health Associate Program (PHAP): a 2-year training program for recent college graduates to gain hands-on experience in public health program operations nationwide.
    • Future Public Health Leaders Program (FPHLP): a 10-week residential summer program for college students and recent graduates, including placements in non-profits, health systems, or government agencies and health departments to consider careers in public health.
    • Laboratory Leadership Service (LLS): a 2-year fellowship focusing on laboratory science and leadership, preparing scientists to become future public health laboratory leaders.
  • Fellowships facilitating placements at HHS and its operating divisions:

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