Lappin Speaks at State of the CDC Meeting

Debra R. Lappin, Senior Vice President of B&D Consulting's Health & Life Sciences Team, recently delivered a keynote speech to employees of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that focused on advancing the agency's Health Protection Goals.

Lappin, past chairwoman of the Arthritis Foundation and an advisor to CDC Director Dr. Julie Gerberding, was invited by Dr. Gerberding to address agency employees at last months' "State of the CDC" session in Atlanta.

Lappin has also been tapped by Director Gerberding to co-chair a National Task Force that will focus on advancing CDC's partnerships with external organizations to attain the agency's Health Protection Goals.

"I'm deeply honored that Director Gerberding has asked for my assistance in helping guide this most important of initiatives," Lappin said. "Ensuring the health and well-being of our nation is all our work, and external organizations have a major role to play along with the CDC in attaining this goal."

Lappin is widely recognized in federal agency and academic circles as an expert in health and science policy. In addition to serving as an advisor to Dr. Gerberding, Lappin has held similar roles to the Director of the National Institutes of Health and other HHS leaders. She has also participated on and led a number of National Academies of Sciences committees.

She provides unique strategies and solutions to public health funding initiatives, and is a recognized national spokesperson on human subject protections and clinical research ethics, and mechanisms for public engagement in science.