SAVE THE DATE: The 2026 Mary C. Parker Yates Lecture
Featuring Dr. Deb Houry
Wednesday, September 23, 2026
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.
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, 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 Information
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: Tulane University (Specific Venue TBA)
About Dr. Deb Houry
A graduate of Tulane’s School of Medicine and School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine, Dr. Houry’s career spans high-level organizational leadership and frontline medical expertise. She has held pivotal roles, including Acting Principal Deputy Director of the CDC, where she led responses to some of the country’s most pressing health challenges, including the opioid epidemic. She currently serves as a senior medical advisor to the California Public Health Network Innovation Exchange (PHNIX). Dr. Houry remains a staunch advocate for data-driven injury prevention and has gained national recognition for her commitment to protecting public health from political interference.
A formal itinerary and event details will be shared as soon as logistics are finalized. The Murphy Institute is pleased to coordinate this visit alongside ancillary engagements with the Tulane School of Medicine and the Cecilia Scott Weatherhead School of Public Health and Tropical Medicine.
