Staff Bio
Joanne Cono, MD, ScM
Office of Science (OS) Deputy Director for Science, CDC Scientific Integrity Official, and CDC Research Integrity Officer.
CDC role
As the Deputy Director for Science and CDC Scientific Integrity Official, Dr. Cono addresses challenging scientific and clinical issues and advises on scientific integrity.
Previous experience
Dr. Cono has served in numerous leadership positions at CDC including Director of the OS Office of Science Quality; Senior Science Advisor in Infectious Diseases; Associate Director of Science (ADS) in the former Coordinating Office for Terrorism Preparedness and Emergency Response; Division ADS in the former National Immunization Program; and Director of CDC's Clinician Communication Program. She led smallpox preparedness activities in the CDC Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Program and has completed numerous international assignments and consultancies.
Prior to CDC, Dr. Cono practiced pediatrics in the homeless shelter system of New York City and at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta. She was a visiting faculty member at the University of Tartu in Estonia, where she taught pediatrics and epidemiology.
Dr. Cono has participated in numerous agencywide emergency responses including anthrax, hurricanes, earthquakes, Mpox, the H1N1 influenza pandemic, Zika, Ebola, and COVID-19. She has advanced training in facilitation, conflict resolution, negotiation, global diplomacy, and public engagement.
Education
A board-certified pediatrician, Dr. Cono earned her medical degree from the State University of New York at Buffalo and completed her residency training at Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh. She has also completed a community pediatrics and child advocacy fellowship at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine and a genetic epidemiology fellowship at CDC. She has a Master of Science degree in vaccine science and international health from The Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health.