Parkinson School of Health Sciences and Public Health and School of Social Work Commencement Addresses

Jennifer E. Layden

MD, PhD • Senior Vice President, Association of State and Territorial Health 

Jennifer E. Layden, MD, PhD, is a physician, epidemiologist, and public health leader whose career spans academic research, clinical medicine, and national public health practice. Internationally recognized for her work in data modernization, infectious disease, and health systems innovation, she advances scientific knowledge and public policy to strengthen population health at local, national, and global levels. 

Layden serves in a national leadership role at the Association of State and Territorial Health, directing initiatives to modernize public health systems, expand cross-sector partnerships, and integrate emerging technologies, including artificial intelligence, into practice. Previously at the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, she led the nation’s first enterprise-wide data modernization efforts, strengthening state and local infrastructure and advancing the use of timely, high quality health data. 

Her leadership as the Deputy Commissioner and Chief Medical Officer for the Chicago Department of Public Health and as the State Epidemiologist and Chief Medical Officer for the Illinois Department of Public Health guided responses to infectious disease threats, including COVID-19, and established programs that continue to enhance epidemiologic capacity and health equity. She has held faculty appointments at the University of Illinois, Chicago and Loyola University Chicago, mentoring students and contributing to publications in Nature, The New England Journal of Medicine, JAMA, and The Lancet. Her honors include the CDC Charles C. Shepard Award for Scientific Excellence and the Samuel J. Heyman Service to America Medals. 

Layden earned her Doctor of Medicine and Doctor of Philosophy in Epidemiology from the University of Illinois, Chicago. She holds a Bachelor of Science from the University of Notre Dame, graduating cum laude and competing on the varsity women’s basketball team. She completed residency training in internal medicine and a fellowship in infectious diseases and is board certified in both specialties.