Nancy Messonnier, MD

Nancy Messonnier, MD, has been dean of the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health and Bryson Distinguished Professor in Public Health since fall 2022.

Dean Messonnier’s dedication to achieving public health impact through successful implementation informs her leadership of the Gillings School across academics, research, practice, policy and outreach. With a focus on impact both within North Carolina and around the world, she works with Gillings School faculty, staff, students and partners to expand initiatives in public health practice, behavioral health, climate and health, generative artificial intelligence and women’s health, among other opportunities.

Before she joined the Gillings School as dean, Dr. Messonnier’s 25-year career as a public health leader was devoted to developing and implementing accessible vaccines, promoting vaccine confidence, addressing disparities in immunization coverage and preventing future pandemics — all on a global scale. She served in influential roles at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), including as director of the National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases (NCIRD) from 2014 to 2021. Dr. Messonnier led the NCIRD’s response to COVID-19 and served as the CDC’s chief architect of the COVID vaccine implementation program, helping to develop, evaluate and distribute vaccines across the United States. She was inducted into the National Academy of Medicine in 2021, and served as executive director for pandemic prevention and health systems at the Skoll Foundation from 2021 to 2022.

 Dr. Messonnier received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Pennsylvania, earned a medical degree at the University of Chicago School of Medicine and completed internal medicine residency training at the University of Pennsylvania.