Dr. Hank Tomlinson Named New Director for CDC’s Division of Global HIV & TB

CDC’s Division of Global HIV & TB in the Center for Global Health stands at the forefront of the global response to HIV and TB, the world’s two deadliest infectious diseases. I am pleased to announce that Dr. Hank Tomlinson will now serve as the Director of this Division, and lead CDC’s efforts to address these two epidemics around the globe. Under Dr. Tomlinson’s leadership, the Division will continue to advance HIV epidemic control as a major contributor to the President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief. Dr. Tomlinson brings a rare combination of experience at the intersection of science and programs. As a result, he is well suited to lead CDC to deliver the most effective HIV and TB prevention and treatment programs serving millions of people around the world.

Dr. Tomlinson began his tenure at CDC in 2008 in the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention in the National Center for HIV/AIDS, Viral Hepatitis, STD, and TB Prevention, where he focused on strengthening the capacity of the HIV workforce to implement science- and evidence-based interventions for HIV prevention, care, and treatment. Later, Dr. Tomlinson served as a senior scientist and the acting Associate Chief for Science for the Division of HIV/AIDS Prevention’s Capacity Building Branch. At CDC, Dr. Tomlinson has led or co-led efforts to estimate the cost-effectiveness of behavioral interventions, and to prioritize interventions for continued CDC support and scale up as part of CDC’s domestic pivot to high impact HIV prevention. He also promoted the adoption and implementation of programs that utilize individual-level HIV surveillance data to identify persons living with HIV who are out of care and link them to or re-engage them in care.

Prior to joining CDC, Dr. Tomlinson directed a CDC-funded HIV prevention and health promotion program for LGBT youth at the American Psychological Association. He has also worked as a clinical psychologist, and he has taught graduate and undergraduate courses in health, behavioral science, and quantitative methods. Dr. Tomlinson earned his bachelor’s degree in psychology from Emory University and his doctoral degree in clinical psychology from Duke University. He completed his residency in clinical psychology at the University of Maryland Medical Center and Baltimore VA Hospital. His published work addresses the epidemiology of HIV among men who have sex with men; the development, evaluation, and dissemination of interventions to reduce sexual risk behavior for acquisition and transmission of HIV; and the diffusion of innovations.

Please join me in welcoming Dr. Tomlinson to his new role as the Director of CDC’s Division of Global HIV & TB. Click here to see Dr. Tomlinson’s recent World TB Day video statement highlighting CDC’s unique role in the fight against infectious diseases worldwide.