Dr. Debra Houry, MD, MPH, a nationally recognized physician and public health leader, has joined the Yale School of Public Health (YSPH) as a lecturer and senior fellow in the Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology (CDE).
Earlier in her career, Dr. Houry, an emergency physician, experienced “firsthand how illness and death devastate families and loved ones,” she said. “That’s what led to my career in public health. I changed my focus from treating individual patients to protecting the nation.”
Dr. Houry served as chief medical officer and deputy director for program and science at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where she oversaw nine national centers and the Office of Science. She co-led the Moving Forward initiative, restructuring CDC’s staff and budget to strengthen preparedness, data, and laboratory systems. She also served as the director of CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, where she advanced national strategies on opioid use, suicide prevention, and mental health.
Dr. Houry continues to shape the future of the field. She was recently chosen to serve as one of the leaders of a new Public Health Network Innovation Exchange (PHNIX) in California. The PHNIX team will work with Governor Gavin Newsom and the California Department of Public Health to drive public health innovation, strengthen collaboration across states and institutions, and improve how critical health information is communicated.
An elected member of the National Academy of Medicine, Dr. Houry has been recognized with numerous honors including the American Medical Association Award for Outstanding Government Service, and the American Public Health Association Jay S. Drotman Memorial Award. She has served on multiple boards, including as president of the Society for Academic Emergency Medicine and the Society for Advancement of Violence and Injury Research. She received her BS in Biology from Emory University; her MPH in Health Systems Management from Tulane University; and her MD from Tulane University School of Medicine.
"I am excited to welcome Dr. Houry to our school. As a senior fellow, she brings a wealth of experience in shaping federal, state, local, and non-governmental public health policy. Her real-world perspective will be an invaluable asset to our community—especially our students as they prepare to take on public health issues," Dean Megan L. Ranney, MD, MPH, said.