Jeffrey P. Koplan
14th Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
In office
October 5, 1998 – March 31, 2002
PresidentBill Clinton
George W. Bush
Preceded byDavid Satcher
Succeeded byJulie Gerberding
Personal details
BornBoston, Massachusetts[1]
EducationYale University
Harvard University (MPH)
Mt. Sinai School of Medicine (MD)

Jeffrey P. Koplan is an American physician and epidemiologist who is the Vice President for Global Health at Emory University. He established and became the first Director of the Emory Global Health Institute from 2006 to 2013.[2] Koplan was the director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention from 1998[3] to 2002;[4] he had previously worked at the CDC for more than twenty years, looking into HIV-contaminated blood, as well as the Bhopal disaster.[5] During his tenure as Director, he fought syphilis,[6] and supervised the investigation into the 2001 anthrax attacks;[7] before leaving the agency in March 2002.[8]

Koplan earned a bachelor's degree in English from Yale University, a master's degree in public health from Harvard University and a medical doctorate from the Mt. Sinai School of Medicine.[1]

Controversy

In the late 1990s, Congress gave the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) $23 million to conduct research on myalgic encephalomyelitis (also known as "chronic fatigue syndrome"). After concerns were raised about how these funds were being spent, an investigation was conducted by inspector general June Gibbons Brown.[9] The investigation revealed that $12 million of the funds were not properly allocated towards CFS research and the CDC had provided inaccurate statements (to Congress) regarding the CDC's investment in CFS research. Dr. Jeffrey Koplan defended the actions of the CDC with the following statement: "While CDC is not legally prohibited from spending funds budgeted for CFS on other programs, we acknowledge the importance of complying with the intent of Congress and providing information to Congress."[10]

References

  1. ^ a b McClam, Erin. "CDC Chief Jeffrey Koplan Resigns". Associated Press. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  2. ^ "Seven Decades of Firsts with Seven CDC Directors" (PDF). CDC. Retrieved April 16, 2020.
  3. ^ "SHALALA APPOINTS JEFFREY P. KOPLAN TO HEAD CDC" (Press release). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. July 10, 1998. Archived from the original on April 21, 2020. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  4. ^ "Past CDC Directors/Administrators | About | CDC". www.cdc.gov. July 20, 2018. Retrieved April 15, 2020.
  5. ^ Stolberg, Sheryl Gay (July 10, 1998). "Epidemiologist Is Chosen to Head Centers for Disease Control". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  6. ^ Stolberg, Sheryl Gay (October 8, 1999). "U.S. Says 'Stars Are Aligned' to Vanquish an Old Foe: Syphilis". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  7. ^ Altman, Lawrence K. (November 13, 2001). "THE DOCTOR'S WORLD; When Everything Changed at the C.D.C." The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  8. ^ Pear, Robert (February 22, 2002). "Embattled Disease Agency Chief Is Quitting". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved April 20, 2020.
  9. ^ Brown, June (May 10, 1999). "Audit of Costs Charged to the Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Program" (PDF).
  10. ^ Strauss, Valerie (May 28, 1999). "Audit Shows CDC Misled Congress About Funds". The Washington Post.

External links

Government offices Preceded byDavid Satcher Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention 1998-2002 Succeeded byJulie Gerberding
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