Associate Director for Science, Division of Injury Prevention

CDC role

Karin A. Mack, PhD, is the associate director for science (ADS) in the Division of Injury Prevention at the CDC Injury Center. As the ADS, she is responsible for working with the division’s science professionals and provides overarching vision and scientific leadership.

Previous experience

In 1997, Dr. Mack began her career at CDC at the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion (NCCDPHP) as an epidemiologist with the Behavioral Risk Factor Surveillance System (BRFSS). She joined NCIPC in 2003 as a senior behavioral scientist for the Home and Recreation Team, where she worked on fall prevention, healthy and safe homes, and child injury prevention. She was part of the Prescription Drug Overdose Team that was formed in late 2012 to address the growing epidemic of drug overdoses.

Dr. Mack has authored or coauthored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications, government publications, and book chapters and has given more than 100 presentations. In addition to her work at CDC, she is an adjunct faculty member in Emory University's Sociology Department.

Areas of expertise

• Overdose prevention among women
• Healthy and safe homes
• Injury data and surveillance
• Population-level change and health

Education

Dr. Mack received her Bachelor of Arts degree in socioeconomics from James Madison College of Michigan State University. She also earned a Master of Science degree in sociology (demography) and a doctoral degree in sociology (gender, work, and family) from the University of Maryland, College Park.