Richard Besser

Richard Besser is President and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF), the largest private foundation in the country devoted solely to improving health. An advocate for healthy communities and economic inclusion, Dr. Besser emphasizes the importance of accountable public health systems and racial justice. He played a significant role in prioritizing health equity during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Before joining RWJF in April 2017, he was Chief Health and Medical Editor for ABC News, where he provided medical analysis and commentary for all ABC News broadcasts and platforms, including "World News Tonight with David Muir," "Good Morning America" and "Nightline." He also reported on the Zika outbreak in Brazil and Ebola in Liberia. In 2011, Dr. Besser led ABC's global health coverage, "Be the Change: Save a Life," reporting on health issues from seven different countries.

Dr. Besser came to ABC News from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where he served as Acting Director from January to June 2009, during which time he led the CDC's response to the H1N1 influenza pandemic. He also served as Director of the Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response. In that role, he was responsible for all of the CDC's public health emergency preparedness and emergency response activities.

Dr. Besser began his career at the CDC in 1991 in the Epidemic Intelligence Service working on the epidemiology of food-borne diseases. Following this, beginning in 1993, he served for five years on the faculty of the University of California, San Diego as the pediatric residency director. While in San Diego, he worked for the county health department on the control of pediatric tuberculosis. He returned to the CDC in 1998, where he served in various capacities, including as epidemiology section chief in the Respiratory Diseases Branch; acting chief of the Meningitis and Special Pathogens Branch in the National Center for Infectious Disease; and as medical director of "Get Smart: Know When Antibiotics Work," the CDC's national campaign to promote appropriate antibiotic use in the community.

Dr. Besser is a National Academy of Medicine member and serves on multiple boards, including Howard University's board of trustees. He volunteered as a pediatrician for over 30 years in community clinics across the country and and was honored with the Surgeon General's Medallion for his significant contributions to public health. In 2011, he received the Dean's Medal from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in recognition of his impactful work in the field.

Dr. Besser received his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Williams College and his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania. He completed a residency and chief residency in pediatrics at John Hopkins University Hospital in Baltimore, Maryland.