Guthrie (Gus) Birkhead, MD, MPH - Dr. Birkhead is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics at the School of Public Health, University at Albany. Until September 2015, he worked at the New York State Department of Health for 27 years in positions of increasing responsibility, including serving as Deputy Commissioner for Public Health from 2007 to 2015. In that position, he provided direction and oversight to all public health programs in the department including infectious disease, chronic disease, environmental health, nutrition, the public health laboratory, public health practice, and public health preparedness. He is a past member of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices and past member and chair of the National Vaccine Advisory Council. He is a graduate of Princeton University (AB), Yale University School of Medicine (MD) and the Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health (MPH). He is also a graduate of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Epidemic Intelligence Service and Preventive Medicine Residency programs. Dr. Birkhead is board certified in internal medicine and in preventive medicine and public health. He has published over 150 papers in the peer-reviewed literature and authored eight book chapters on topics including public health surveillance, perinatal HIV prevention, immunizations, the public health workforce and public health preparedness. He is currently a member of the Board of Directors of the New York State Public Health Association and the Executive Committee of the Epidemic Intelligence Service Alumni Association.