President Donald Trump has nominated Dr. Erica Schwartz to serve as the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Here are five key things to know about her and what this means for the agency.
Dr. Schwartz has a strong background in military, medicine, and law, with over 20 years of public service experience, including serving in the US Navy, Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, and US Coast Guard as a rear admiral.
She studied biomedical engineering and medicine at Brown University and earned a master's degree in public health and a law degree from the University of Maryland.
Dr. Schwartz has worked with Trump before, serving as Deputy Surgeon General during his first term and leaving the role in 2021.
The CDC has not had a permanent leader for months, and Dr. Schwartz will face several challenges, including leadership instability, low staff morale, and ongoing changes to vaccine policy.
Her nomination is not final yet and must be confirmed by the Senate before she can officially take charge of the agency.
