Karen Hacker

Karen Hacker is the Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. In this role, she oversees a dedicated staff of over 1,000 individuals committed to the prevention of chronic diseases and the promotion of health across all life stages. Among her notable initiatives, she has launched both the community health worker scheme and the social determinant of health accelerator plan.

Hacker's portfolio is expansive, encompassing critical health areas such as maternal mortality, school health, obesity prevention, and smoking policies, as well as the management of leading chronic diseases. Notably, she has a substantial background in public health practice at the local level, with service as the Director of the Allegheny County Health Department in Pennsylvania and at the Cambridge Health Alliance in Massachusetts.

In addition to her practical work, Hacker is a recognized expert in the field of community-based participatory research (CBPR) and has made significant contributions to the body of knowledge in her field through her numerous publications. She has academic credentials from Northwestern University, where she received her MD, and Boston University School of Public Health, where she obtained her MPH.