CDC Deputy Director Jennifer Shuford to Step Down in November

Dr. Jennifer Shuford, the deputy director and chief medical officer of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, is set to leave the agency next month. A spokesperson for the CDC confirmed that her tenure will end on November 12, marking a departure after less than five months in her dual roles.

In a statement released on her behalf, Shuford cited a desire to spend more time with her family as the primary reason for her exit. She expressed gratitude to President Donald Trump and Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. for the opportunity to lead the agency. Shuford described the experience as amazing and stated she would remain forever grateful for the chance to serve.

Shuford was appointed to her positions in April by President Trump and officially began her duties in June. Prior to joining the CDC, she held significant public health roles in Texas. She served as the state’s chief epidemiologist during the coronavirus pandemic and was appointed commissioner of the Texas Department of State Health Services in 2022. In that capacity, she oversaw the state’s response to a measles outbreak centered in West Texas last year. That outbreak resulted in more than 750 cases and the deaths of two school-age children.

The CDC has named Satish Pillai, who currently leads the agency’s Ebola response, as the acting deputy director and chief medical officer. He will serve in this interim capacity while the agency searches for a permanent successor to Shuford.

This departure is part of a broader pattern of leadership turnover at the country’s top health agencies under the current administration. CDC Director Dr. Erica Schwartz announced Shuford’s departure in an email to staff on Tuesday morning. Schwartz praised Shuford’s outstanding leadership and commitment to public health, noting that she navigated an exceptionally demanding and high-profile environment over the past several months.

The agency has experienced significant instability in its leadership ranks over the last year and a half. In August 2025, Health Secretary Kennedy fired CDC Director Susan Monarez just 29 days into her role. Following that dismissal, the agency went without a permanent director for approximately one year until Schwartz was confirmed by the Senate in August of this year.

Other senior officials have also left the CDC recently. Dr. Ralph Abraham, the principal deputy director, stepped down in February. In June, Dr. Allison Arwady, who directed the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control, announced her departure. Additionally, a wave of resignations occurred last year following Monarez’s firing, with four senior officials leaving, three of whom cited concerns about political interference in the scientific process.

Leadership shake-ups are not limited to the CDC. Calley Means, a prominent advocate for the “Make America Healthy Again” movement, resigned last week from his position as a senior adviser at the Department of Health and Human Services. These changes reflect a wider restructuring within the federal health establishment.

The Food and Drug Administration has also seen notable departures this year. Dr. Marty Makary resigned in May as FDA commissioner after opposing the administration’s move to expand access to flavored e-cigarettes. In the same month, the FDA’s vaccine chief stepped down, and the leader of the division responsible for regulating over-the-counter and prescription drugs reported that she had been fired.