Office of Science (OS)

Rebecca Bunnell, PhD, MEd

Rebecca Bunnell, PhD, MEd is the Director of CDC’s Office of Science. Since joining CDC in 1996 as an EIS Officer in the Division of STD Prevention, Dr. Bunnell has held key CDC positions in Atlanta, California, Uganda, and Kenya. Most recently, she has served as the Deputy Director for Science, Policy, and Communications in the Division of Global Health Protection. Her other positions include Associate Director for Science in the Office on Smoking and Health (OSH), Associate Director for Public Health Practice at the National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion, Acting Director of the Division of Community Health, Director of CDC-Kenya’s Global AIDS Program, Associate Director for Science for CDC-Uganda, and CDC Epidemiologist State Assignee to California. Prior to her CDC career, Dr. Bunnell worked with the Medical Research Council (United Kingdom), The AIDS Support Organization/Action Aid Uganda, and Médecins Sans Frontières. She was also a Peace Corps volunteer in Honduras.

Dr. Bunnell holds a doctorate from the Harvard School of Public Health, a master’s degree from the University of Massachusetts, and an undergraduate degree from Yale University. She is the recipient of numerous honors and awards at CDC, including the Charles C. Shepard Science Award, CDC Honor Awards for Excellence in Emergency Response and for the Community Putting Prevention to Work Initiative, and Center for Global Health (CGH) in both Policy and Communications. Dr. Bunnell has conducted numerous epidemiologic, surveillance, behavioral, and economic studies and has authored over 120 scientific publications.