Christopher JONES – Atlanta

Biography

Christopher Jones, PharmD, DrPH, MPH (CAPT U.S. Public Health Service), currently serves as the acting director of the National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. When not serving as the acting director, Dr. Jones is the deputy director of NCIPC. In this role, he is the primary scientific advisor to the NCIPC director and other senior staff on science issues in public health, clinical care implementation, epidemiology, biostatistics, economics, and behavioral science.

In addition, he provides scientific leadership and drives NCIPC’s strategic direction by overseeing the refinement of the scientific research agenda and the coordination on the NCIPC strategic priorities of drug overdose, suicide prevention, and adverse childhood experiences.

As deputy director, he also oversees and enhances collaboration among NCIPC’s Office of Science, Office of Informatics, Office of Strategy and Innovation, and Overdose Response Coordinating Unit. Prior to becoming deputy director, Dr. Jones served as associate director of the NCIPC Office of Strategy and Innovation.

Prior to joining CDC, Dr. Jones served as the first director of the National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory at the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA). The Policy Lab is responsible for identifying, coordinating, and facilitating the implementation of policies to improve mental health and substance use prevention, treatment and recovery, and with advancing innovation and the dissemination and adoption of evidence-based practices and programs related to mental health and substance use.

Prior to SAMHSA, Dr. Jones served as acting associate deputy assistant secretary for Science and Data Policy and director of the Division of Science Policy in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). During his career, Dr. Jones has served as senior advisor in the Office of the Commissioner at the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and led the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) drug abuse and overdose activities, where he focused on strategic policy development and implementation, engaging national and state partners, and conducting research to improve policy and clinical practice.

In addition, he was detailed to the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy as the senior public health advisor, led the FDA’s Drug Safety and Risk Communication team, and served on the Science Team in the CDC’s Strategic National Stockpile.

He received a Bachelor of Science degree from Reinhardt College, a Doctor of Pharmacy degree from Mercer University, a Master of Public Health degree from New York Medical College, and a Doctor of Public Health in Health Policy from The George Washington University Milken Institute School of Public Health. Dr. Jones is a captain in the U.S. Public Health Service and has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications on the topics of substance use, drug overdose, adverse childhood experiences, and mental health.