August 5, 20262 min read Add Us On GoogleAdd SciAmThe Centers for Disease Control and Prevention hasn't had a full-time leader in almost a yearBy Claire Cameron Erica Schwartz attends her nomination hearing to become Director Of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee on Capitol Hill July 15, 2026 in Washington, DC. Finn Gomez/Getty ImagesJoin Our Community of Science Lovers!The U.S. Senate on Wednesday confirmed Erica Schwartz to head the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).Her confirmation gives the nation's top public health body a leader after almost a year of acting directors, most recently Jay Bhattacharya, who serves as the director of the National Institutes of Health. The Trump administration's first CDC director, Susan Monarez, was fired by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., in August 2025 after less than a month in the job.Prior to becoming CDC chief, Schwartz was a deputy surgeon general in the first Trump administration—a civilian position that isn't politically appointed—and a rear admiral in the U.S. Coast Guard, where she served as chief medical officer.On supporting science journalismIf you're enjoying this article, consider supporting our award-winning journalism by subscribing. By purchasing a subscription you are helping to ensure the future of impactful stories about the discoveries and ideas shaping our world today.At a recent hearing before senators prior to her confirmation, Schwartz insisted that she would stand up to Kennedy on matters of public health when necessary. Her predecessor, Monarez, said Kennedy had ousted her because she refused to rubber stamp vaccine policies. The Department of Health and Human Services did not immediately respond to a request for comment.“If I’m confirmed as a CDC director, the nation’s health and well-being will take primacy, and I will never compromise on that,” Schwartz said at the hearing.Schwartz takes the helm of the CDC at a perilous moment: The U.S. is in the throes of a nationwide measles outbreak and skyrocketing cases of cyclosporiasis, a parasitic infection that has so far been linked to iceberg lettuce and has killed at least two people. At the same time, public faith in the nation's top public health body is at a nadir. A poll released in June found that just 50 percent of Americans said they trusted the agency’s health recommendations, compared with 77 percent in spring 2025.Editor's note: This is a developing story and may be updated.It’s Time to Stand Up for ScienceIf you enjoyed this article, I’d like to ask for your support. Scientific American has served as an advocate for science and industry for 180 years, and right now may be the most critical moment in that two-century history.I’ve been a Scientific American subscriber since I was 12 years old, and it helped shape the way I look at the world. SciAm always educates and delights me, and inspires a sense of awe for our vast, beautiful universe. I hope it does that for you, too.If you subscribe to Scientific American, you help ensure that our coverage is centered on meaningful research and discovery; that we have the resources to report on the decisions that threaten labs across the U.S.; and that we support both budding and working scientists at a time when the value of science itself too often goes unrecognized.In return, you get essential news, captivating podcasts, brilliant infographics, can't-miss newsletters, must-watch videos, challenging games, and the science world's best writing and reporting. You can even gift someone a subscription.There has never been a more important time for us to stand up and show why science matters. I hope you’ll support us in that mission.