Ralph Abraham, M.D., D.V.M. was sworn in on December 15, 2025 as the new Principal Deputy Director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He will begin his new role on January 5, 2026, serving as second-in-command under Acting Director Jim O’Neill.

Dr. Abraham has nearly 30 years of experience as a medical practitioner, most recently serving as the Surgeon General of the state of Louisiana. As Surgeon General of Louisiana, he was charged with crafting health policy, advocating for disease prevention, and coordinating with state agencies to improve health outcomes in Louisiana.

A graduate of the Louisiana State University School of Veterinary Medicine, Dr. Abraham practiced veterinary medicine for ten years before earning his M.D. from the Louisiana State University School of Medicine, after which he practiced family medicine.

Between 2015 and 2021, Dr. Abraham represented Louisiana’s fifth congressional district in the U.S. House of Representatives, where he served on the House Armed Services Committee; Committee on Agriculture; and Committee on Science, Space, and Technology. He has also volunteered for humanitarian missions in Afghanistan, Haiti, Africa, and the Amazon rainforest.