Jennifer Layden, MD '05, PhD '05
2024 Dr. Jacob Brody Epidemiology and Biostatistics Alumni Achievement Award
About
Jennifer Layden, MD, PhD is the Director for the Office of Public Health Data, Surveillance, and Technology at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC). She is responsible for leading, coordinating, and executing a comprehensive public health data strategy and improving the availability and use of public health data to inform decision-making and action.
Prior to this position, Dr. Layden served as Deputy Director in CDC's Office of Science (OS). Dr. Layden is the recipient of numerous honors and awards, including CDC's Charles C. Shepard Science Award.
Before the CDC, Dr. Layden served as the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Medical Officer for the Chicago Department of Public Health and as the State Epidemiologist and Chief Medical Officer for the Illinois Department of Public Health. Dr. Layden played key roles in public health responses to COVID-19, EVALI, Hepatitis A, and synthetic cannabinoid contamination at the state and local level.
In 2005, Dr. Layden received both her Doctor of Medicine and her doctorate in epidemiology from UIC. She earned her bachelor's degree from the University of Notre Dame.