Obama nominates Thomas R. Frieden as new CDC director

President Obama has nominated Thomas R. Frieden, MD, MPH, to be the next director of the CDC.

Frieden, currently the New York City health commissioner, has a background as an infectious disease specialist. In his role as health commissioner, Frieden was a proponent of increased HIV testing and condom distribution to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Frieden also played an integral role in developing and implementing New York City’s ban on smoking in bars and restaurants.

In a statement announcing the nomination, Obama praised Frieden as “an expert in preparedness and response to health emergencies.”

“[Frieden’s] experiences confronting public health challenges in our country and abroad will be essential in this new role” Obama said. Obama also called Frieden a leader in health care reform and lauded his work on various public health issues, including heart disease, cancer, obesity and infectious diseases, particularly tuberculosis and HIV/AIDS.

Frieden is expected to take over as CDC director by next month. The nomination does not require confirmation by the Senate.

Dr. Frieden, a 48-year-old infectious disease specialist, has cut a high and sometimes contentious profile in his seven years as New York’s top health official under Mayor Michael R. Bloomberg. He led the crusade to ban smoking in restaurants and bars, pushed to make H.I.V. testing a routine part of medical exams, and defended a program that passes out more than 35 million condoms a year.