Nancy Messonnier | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Director of theNational Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention | |
| In office April 4, 2016 – May 14, 2021 | |
| Preceded by | Anne Schuchat |
| Succeeded by | Sam Posner (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Nancy Ellen Rosenstein November 1965 (age 59) Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, U.S. |
| Spouse | Mark Messonnier |
| Relatives | Rod Rosenstein (brother) |
| Education | University of Pennsylvania (BA) University of Chicago (MD) |
| Signature |  |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  United States |
| Service |  U.S. Public Health Service |
| Rank | Captain |
| Unit | PHS Commissioned Corps |
Nancy Ellen Messonnier (néeRosenstein; born November 1965) is an American physician, currently serving as dean of theGillings School of Global Public Health at theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill since September 2022.
She previously served as director of theNational Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases at theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention from 2016 to 2021. She worked on the CDC's response to theCOVID-19 pandemic in the United States.
Messonnier was born inPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania, to Robert Rosenstein, who ran a small business, and Gerri Rosenstein, a bookkeeper and local school board president. She grew up inLower Moreland Township, Pennsylvania, with her brotherRod Rosenstein.[1]
Messonnier graduated fromLower Moreland High School in Lower Moreland Township. She received herBachelor of Arts degree from theUniversity of Pennsylvania in 1987. She then attended theUniversity of Chicago School of Medicine, where she received herDoctor of Medicine in 1992. She then returned to the University of Pennsylvania for her residency training ininternal medicine between 1992 and 1995.[citation needed]
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Messonnier began her career in public health in 1995 as anepidemic intelligence service officer in theNational Center for Infectious Diseases, a program of theCenters for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). During her tenure at the CDC, she led the Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch in NCIRD's Division of Bacterial Diseases from 2007 to 2012.[2] She also served as the deputy director of NCIRD from 2014 to 2016 before becoming director of the center on April 4, 2016.[3][2]
During the course of her career, Messonnier notably worked on the2001 anthrax attacks response, serving as co-leader of the anthrax management team and vaccine working group.[3] She also played a leading role developing a low-costmeningococcal meningitis vaccine to prevent an emerging epidemic in Africa, known asMenAfriVac, in 2010. She has also worked on communications strategies to promote the use of vaccines to prevent the emergence of disease outbreaks.[4]
Starting January 2020, Messonnier helped lead the CDC efforts to address and combat the emerging threat ofCOVID-19, the disease caused by thenovel coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2).[5] When 195 Americans were evacuated out ofWuhan because of the virus, the CDC moved to quarantine all of them, with Messonnier noting: "While we realize this is an unprecedented action, this is an unprecedented threat."[6]
In a February 25 press briefing at theWhite House, Messonnier warned of the impending community spread of the virus in the United States, stating: "Disruption to everyday life might be severe."[7][8] Following her comments during the February White House press briefing, she did not appear again at the briefing, and there was speculation that Messonnier had been "silenced" for her comments stressing the growing urgency of theCOVID-19 pandemic in the United States.[9] On February 28, she said that the U.S. "acted incredibly quickly before most other countries. Aggressively controlled our borders and we were able to slow the spread into the United States. ...We have been testing aggressively."[10][11] While Messonnier no longer appeared in White House briefings, she continued giving regular CDC briefings, which were broadcast to the public, until April 2020, and she made public appearances inAll Things Considered onNPR.[12][13]
On March 9, 2020, she cautioned those who were at high risk of severe illness, including the elderly and people with pre-existing conditions, to take cautionary measures such as stocking up on groceries and medications, and preparing to shelter in place for the foreseeable future.[14][15] She also addressed concerns around the CDC andFDA's failure to get workingCOVID-19 testing kits into the hands of public health officials in a timely manner to enable better containment of the disease and mitigation of its spread.[16] On January 21, 2020, she announced that the CDC had finalized its own COVID-19 test. On February 5, the CDC began distributing diagnostic tests to public-health laboratories; however, several of those tests had contaminated reagents, rendering them useless,[17] and leading to a major gap in fighting the outbreak.[16] The situation was exacerbated by FDA-imposed regulations on testing, making it difficult for independent development of COVID-19 tests to fill the CDC's distribution gap.[18]
On May 7, 2021, she told colleagues she was resigning from the CDC effective May 14, saying "now is the best time for me to transition to a new phase of my career." She said she would become executive director for pandemic and public health systems at theSkoll Foundation, based inPalo Alto, California.[19]
On June 22, 2022, theUniversity of North Carolina at Chapel Hill announced that Messonnier had been appointed to serve as dean of theGillings School of Global Public Health of the university, effective September 1, 2022.[20]
Messonnier is married to Mark L. Messonnier. She is the sister ofRod Rosenstein.[21]
Source[24]
 | Public Health Service Outstanding Unit Citation, June 12, 2016 For enabling the unprecedented use of an investigationalserogroup Bmeningococcalvaccine |
 | Public Health Service Presidential Unit Citation, June 7, 2016 ForEbola response |
 | Public Health Service Outstanding Unit Citation, February 17, 2016 For excellent response to national outbreak of severerespiratory illness |
| Public Health Service Outstanding Unit Citation, November 25, 2014[25] |
 | Public Health Service Unit Commendation, November 29, 2012 ForNational Park Service CDCZoonotic Team |
| Public Health Service Unit Commendation, October 27, 2010 For response to an outbreak ofmeningococcal disease in theUpper East Region ofGhana |
| Public Health Service Outstanding Unit Citation, August 9, 2010 For leading theU.S. Department of Health and Human Services response to the2009 influenza pandemic |
| Public Health Service Outstanding Unit Citation, April 15, 2010 For emergence ofCiprofloxacin-resistantNeisseria meningitidis inNorth America |
 | Public Health Service Outstanding Unit Citation, April 29, 2009 For exemplary work in assisting state and local health departments in multiplepertussis outbreaks |
| Public Health Service Outstanding Unit Citation, April 29, 2009 For service preventing childhoodpneumonia andmeningitis by increasing adoption of vaccines indeveloping countries |
| Public Health Service Outstanding Unit Citation, December 16, 2008 For designing hands-on laboratory training courses to increase global meningitis disease surveillance |
| Public Health Service Unit Commendation, June 19, 2008 For service on the Awards Board and support to theU.S. Public Health Service awards process |
| Public Health Service Unit Commendation, February 23, 2007 For outstanding teamwork, scientific, and community interaction in the investigation of ananthrax case |
 | Public Health Service Outstanding Service Medal, January 12, 2006 For outstanding leadership to improve control and prevention ofmeningococcal disease in theUnited States andAfrica |
| Public Health Service Unit Commendation, October 27, 2005 For collaborating with health agencies in assessment and response to accidental exposure toBacillus anthracis |
| Public Health Service Outstanding Unit Citation, March – July 2003 For the investigation and control ofSARS during the acute public health response |
| Public Health Service Outstanding Unit Citation, January – July 2002 For responding to the serogroup W135meningococcal disease epidemic inBurkina Faso |
| Public Health Service Outstanding Unit Citation, September 2001 – March 2002 For outstanding service in responding toterrorist attacks |
 | Public Health Service Crisis Response Service Award, October 2001 – January 2002 For participation in theWorld Trade Center and anthrax response |
 | Public Health Service Commendation Medal, October 1997 – March 2001 For evaluation of risk of meningococcal disease in college students and development of vaccine strategies |
| Public Health Service Outstanding Unit Citation, July 1998 – October 1998 For theLeptospirosis response |
 | Public Health Service Achievement Medal, July 1997 – June 1998 For meningococcal disease surveillance |
 | Public Health Service Commendation Medal, July 1997 – July 1998 For outstanding contributions to improve prevention of meningococcal disease in the United States and Africa |
 | Public Health Service Foreign Duty Award, January 1998 – December 1998 |
 | Public Health Service Bicentennial Unit Commendation Award, January 1998 |
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