Susan Kansagra, MD, MBA serves as North Carolina's State Health Officer and NCDHHS' Assistant Secretary for Public Health. In this role, she leads the NC Division of Public Health and provides leadership and oversight of policies and programs that promote the health and wellbeing of North Carolinians. Dr. Kansagra has worked on numerous public health issues over the last several years. She helped lead NC’s COVID-19 pandemic response efforts and was the driving force behind the development of NC’s first Opioid Action Plan. Her previous roles include serving as Deputy Commissioner of the New York City Health Department, where she led nationally-recognized public health policies and programs aimed at reducing chronic disease, as well as, Asst Vice President of Population Health at NYC Health + Hospitals, where she led clinical quality improvement initiatives for the country’s largest public healthcare system. She is an appointed member of the CDC Community Preventive Services Task Force and served as Board President of the National Association of Chronic Disease Directors. She is the recipient of the Governor’s Award for Excellence for Outstanding State Service. She completed her undergraduate degree at UNC-Chapel Hill, her graduate degrees at Duke University, and her medical training at Massachusetts General Hospital.