Thomas A. Clark MD, MPH

Dr. Thomas Clark obtained his bachelor’s and medical degrees at Tulane University. He trained in pediatrics at Emory University and in public health and preventive medicine at Oregon Health and Science University. He joined CDC as an EIS Officer in 2001, working in the Mycotic Diseases Branch on endemic mycoses and opportunistic fungal infections. Following EIS, he worked on bacterial zoonoses in the Meningitis and Special Pathogens Branch. Following the agency reorganization in 2006, he served as Epidemiology Team Lead and ultimately as Acting Chief for the Meningitis and Vaccine Preventable Diseases Branch (MVPDB) in NCIRD.

During his nine years in MVPDB, Dr. Clark led laboratory and epidemiologic investigations and vaccine policy development for pertussis, meningitis, and other bacterial vaccine-preventable diseases in the Division of Bacterial Diseases. He played a key role in the successful implementation and evaluation of MenAfriVac—a novel vaccine developed to end the devastating problem of epidemic meningitis in sub-Saharan Africa—and in investigating and responding to the re-emergence of pertussis. He has also led several emergency response efforts, including the first implementation of a new meningitis B vaccine during two outbreaks on college campuses, the CDC’s investigation of unexplained neurologic phenomena among US Embassy staff and families in Cuba, and the Acute Flaccid Myelitis Response incident manager. Dr. Clark joined DVD in 2018.