Tulane University will be one of the leaders for a new Centers for Disease Control and Prevention regional office. 

In September, the CDC announced they will create 10 new Regional Centers for Public Health Preparedness and Response. 

The goal of the new centers is to advance the development of strategies and interventions across communities to better prepare them for public health threats. 

Stephen Murphy, the director of the Tulane Disaster Management Master of Public Health program, told Tulane, “The vision for the center is to create a robust, collaborative network that enhances the ability of public health systems to prevent, detect, and respond to emergencies on state, local and tribal levels.” 

Issues related to climate change will be a focus of the center. 

“Health Security is a pivotal piece of our national security enterprise and, as you might guess, focuses explicitly on the population’s health. It is an exciting field to study and work in, especially as climate change continues to influence tropical systems and hurricanes, flooding, drought, extreme heat, zoonotic or spillover events, and creates more amendable habitats for emerging and reemerging diseases,” Murphy said in an email to The Hullabaloo. 

Additionally, the CDC centers allow students to refine their skills and prepare for future careers. 

“Our students go on [to] work as scientists and analysts for the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, Health and Human Services and even the Department of Homeland Security, where one of our MPH and PhD graduates serves as the Chief of Staff to the Chief Medical Officer for the Office of Health Security,” Murphy said.  

“I am very hopeful at the opportunities and impact this new center will provide Tulane students dedicated to public health,” Cameron Kowitt, the president of the Tulane Public Health Society, said. “Having a center here on campus will provide students with many opportunities for networking and gaining knowledge and experience related to the crisis preparedness especially that we face in Louisiana.” 

Of the new opportunities this center will bring to the PHS, Kowitt said, “The PHS aims to help students reach their goals of working for this new center by holding career panels in the fall with staff and lead epidemiologists and other public health professionals from the CDC center.” 

As the Regional Center begins its work, Tulane students and faculty alike are optimistic about their role in shaping the future of public health preparedness.