Staff Bio
Kayla Laserson, ScD, SM, FASTMH, CDR, USPHS (ret)
Global Health Center
Dr. Laserson leads CDC’s global work to protect and improve health through science, policy, partnership, and evidence-based public health action.
CDC role
Dr. Laserson oversees and guides CDC's Global Health Center efforts to protect and improve health through science, policy, partnership, and evidence-based public health action.
Previous experience
Prior to becoming the GHC director, Dr. Laserson served as Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (BMGF) India Office, Deputy Director for Infectious Diseases and Vaccine Delivery. She led programmatic support on TB, neglected tropical diseases, malaria, and vaccine delivery. She led BMGF's COVID-19 response in India from 2020-2022.
Before her BMGF role, Dr. Laserson was CDC's India country office Director and CDC's India Division of Global Health Protection Director. She led CDC's support to India's developing role in Global Health Security and helped build the India Epidemic Intelligence Service Program.
From 2006 to 2013, served as the director of the Kenya Medical Research Institute/CDC Research and Public Health Collaboration in Kisumu, Kenya. In this position, she managed research platforms in HIV, malaria, TB, emerging infectious diseases, demographic surveillance, and programmatic service delivery of HIV care, treatment, and prevention programs.
In 1997, Dr. Laserson started her CDC career as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer in the Division of Tuberculosis Elimination, International Research and Program Branch. She later became the branch's deputy branch chief. Dr. Laserson has also worked extensively in Mexico, Brazil, Russia, Lativia, and Vietnam.
Dr. Laserson served as a commander in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps until 2007.