Staff Bio
Athalia Christie, DrPH, MIA
Global Health Center (GHC)
Dr. Athalia Christi started her CDC in 1997 and has extensive experience in public health, outbreak response, and global immunization. As the Associate Director for Emergency Preparedness and Response at the Global Health Center, she has led numerous international health initiatives and emergency responses.
CDC role
Athalia Christie, DrPH, MIA is the Associate Director for Emergency Preparedness and Response for the Global Health Center.
Previous experience
Dr. Christie began her CDC career in 1997 as a Public Health Prevention Service Fellow focusing on lymphatic filariasis. She served the two-year state assignment for her fellowship as the Coordinator of the Expanded Contact Investigation Unit at the New York City Tuberculosis Control Program leading dozens of outbreak investigations.
After her fellowship, Dr. Christie embarked on a series of international assignments, beginning with her role in establishing acute flaccid paralysis surveillance in the tribal areas of Pakistan for CDC’s Global Immunization Division.
From 2001-2005, she was seconded to the World Health Organization (WHO) to lead the polio eradication programs in Somalia and South Sudan. From 2006 to 2012, Dr. Christie was detailed to the American Red Cross to lead the Measles Initiative overseeing technical and financial support to 75 countries to reduce measles mortality.
She joined the Office of the Director in the Center for Global Health in 2012, eventually serving as the Deputy Director overseeing policy, strategy, and communication for CDC’s portfolio of global health programs operating in more than 60 countries.
Dr. Christie has deployed repeatedly to lead CDC emergency response teams. She has served as the Principal Deputy Incident Manager for Marburg, mpox, and in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) Ebola 2018-2020 response. She has also served as the CDC Ebola Response Lead in Liberia, Sierra Leone and DRC.
Areas of expertise
Dr. Christie has expertise in outbreak response, disease control, and policy. She has received dozens of awards for her service, including the Watsonian Public Health Advisor of the Year, the Secretary’s Award for Distinguished Service, and the American Red Cross’ Spirit of Excellence.