Benedict Truman

Dr. Truman serves as Adjunct Assistant Professor, HPM Scholar (2025-28). He is board certified in General Preventive Medicine & Public Health and a Fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine (FACPM) since 1984. He retired from the US Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) in 2022, after 34 years of federal service.

In his last CDC job, Dr. Truman was the Associate Director for Science (ADS or Chief Science Officer) for the National Center for HIV, Viral Hepatitis, STD and Tuberculosis Prevention (NCHHSTP), for 11 years. As ADS, he directed the Office of the Associate Director for Science; ensured science quality, integrity, and ethics in NCHHSTP; and provided upper level supervision of the Extramural Research Program Office in NCHHSTP that serves CDC’s 3 infectious disease centers.

After joining CDC in 1983 as an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Officer, Dr. Truman served as a field epidemiologist at The Monroe County Health Department in Rochester New York during 1983-85, and medical epidemiologist in infectious diseases at the New York State Health Department during 1985-1989. Science leadership positions at CDC include (1) Associate Director for Science, Division of Adolescent & School Health, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion during 1989-91; (2) Chief, Chronic Disease Surveillance Branch in NCCDPHP during 1991-1995; (3) Senior Scientist, Community Guide, Division of Prevention Research & Analytic Methods, Epidemiology Program Office during 1995-2000; (4) Associate Director for Science, CDC’s Office of Minority Health & Health Equity during 2000-2010; (5) Associate Director for Science, Epidemiology & Analysis Program Office, Office of Surveillance Epidemiology & Laboratory Services during 2010-2011; and (6) ADS for NCHHSTP (July 2011 – May 31, 2022). 

Dr. Truman’s education, medical & public health training include earned degrees of Bachelor of Science in Chemistry in 1975 and Doctor of Medicine in 1979 at Howard University in Washington DC; and a Master of Public Health in 1981 at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in Baltimore Maryland. He completed Residency in Preventive Medicine and Public Health at Johns Hopkins, where he served as Chief Resident during 1982-83. His expertise and interests include applied epidemiologic research methods; research synthesis and policy analysis; developing  community preventive services guidelines for preventing and controlling infectious diseases, chronic diseases, minority health disparities, and adolescent and school health. Dr. Truman served for eight years (2014-2022) as the Consulting Editor for Infectious Diseases and editorial board member for the Journal of Public Health Management & Practice.