2026 Mary C. Parker Yates Lecture: Dr. Deb Houry
"Leading with Integrity through Chaos: My time at the CDC"
Former Chief Medical Officer at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)
More Information
The Murphy Institute is honored to announce that Dr. Debra Houry, distinguished Tulane alumna and former Chief Medical Officer of the CDC, will deliver the 2026 Mary C. Parker Yates Lecture on September 23, 2026 at Tulane University.
Dr. Houry is a renowned leader in public health, emergency medicine, and scientific integrity. During her tenure at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), she served as a primary architect of national clinical and public health strategies, leading critical responses to the opioid epidemic and advocating for data-driven injury prevention. She now brings her expertise to the Yale School of Public Health and the California Public Health Network Innovation Exchange (PHNIX), where she remains a vital voice in the advancement of public health policy and the protection of scientific integrity within national health agencies.
Event Details
The Mary C. Parker Yates Lecture is the Murphy Institute’s premier academic event, inviting distinguished scholars and practitioners to engage with the Tulane community on pressing issues of ethics, policy, and society. This event is free and open to the public.
- Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2026
- Time: 4:00 PM
- Location: Qatar Ballroom, Lavin-Bernick Center (LBC)
The Murphy Institute is pleased to coordinate this visit alongside ancillary engagements with the Tulane School of Medicine and the Tulane University Cecilia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, including a downtown campus event on Tuesday, September 22. Please check back for updates.
Special Health Policy Working Group Seminar
Prior to the main lecture, Dr. Houry will lead a special session of the Health Policy Working Group from 12:00 PM – 1:30 PM in LBC Room 203 (Stibbs Room). Please note, this working group seminar is primarily intended for Murphy Health Policy Working Group members and PhD students. If you are interested in participating, contact Professor Mary Olson.
- Date: September 23
- Time: 12:30-1:30 PM
- Location: LBC Room 203 (Stibbs Room)
Student Meet-and-Greet
Following the Health Policy session, an informal meet-and-greet is being coordinated to give students from across participating schools an opportunity to connect with Dr. Houry, discuss her career in public health leadership and emergency medicine, and hear firsthand insights from her extensive tenure at the federal level.
- Date: September 23
- Time: 2:00-3:00 PM
- Location: LBC Room 203 (Stibbs Room)
About Dr. Deb Houry
A graduate of the Tulane University School of Medicine and the Tulane University Celia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Dr. Houry’s career spans high-level organizational leadership and frontline medical expertise. She previously served as the Chief Medical Officer and Deputy Director for Program and Science at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), where she also acted as Principal Deputy Director and led responses to some of the country’s most pressing health challenges, including the opioid epidemic. She currently serves as Senior Medical Advisor to the California Public Health Network Innovation Exchange (PHNIX), and is a Lecturer and Senior Fellow at the Yale School of Public Health (Department of Chronic Disease Epidemiology). A staunch advocate for data-driven injury prevention, Dr. Houry has gained national recognition for her commitment to protecting public health and scientific integrity.