Mandy Cohen to Lead CDC Under Biden Administration

President Biden plans to name Dr. Mandy Cohen, former North Carolina health secretary, as the next director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Dr. Cohen, an internist, would replace Dr. Rochelle Walensky, who is stepping down at the end of June. Dr. Cohen established herself as a familiar and steady voice who maintained the public’s trust despite deep political divisions during her tenure as North Carolina’s Department of Health and Human Services secretary. She has previous experience in the federal government and is currently an executive at Aledade. Public health experts who know Dr. Cohen or have worked with her said her experience leading North Carolina’s pandemic response and her years at federal agencies would be a tremendous asset for a CDC director.