Helene Gayle

Photo Courtesy of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

For so many people living with HIV or AIDS, Dr. Helene Gayle is a hero and a lifesaver. Her tireless efforts to educate the public about the disease, as well as eradicate it, have made Dr. Gayle one of the leading authorities in AIDS research.

Dr. Gayle was born and raised in Buffalo, N.Y. She completed her undergraduate degree at Barnard College of Columbia University, and then received her M.D. from the University of Pennsylvania. She also completed her M.P.H. (Masters in Public Health) from Johns Hopkins University.

Dr. Helene Gayle is the director of the National Center for HIV, STD and TB Prevention, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She is also the Assistant Surgeon General.

Photo Courtesy of The Centers for Disease Control (CDC)

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) honored Helene D. Gayle, M.D., M.P.H., as she was sworn in as Assistant Surgeon General and Rear Admiral in the Commissioned Corps of the United States Public Health Service (PHS) on Tuesday, June 24. The swearing in was conducted by Dr. Audrey Manley, Acting Surgeon General of the United States, and the ceremony was hosted by CDC’s director, Dr. David Satcher.

Dr. Gayle did her residency in Pediatrics and eventually began to work for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There, her work on AIDS has mainly focused on women, children, minorities and international populations. Her work has included regions such as Africa, Asia and the Americas.

Her work has contributed enormously to the study, control and prevention of AIDS. Dr. Gayle is currently the progam director for HIV/AIDS and TB for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.