Associate Director for Communication Science

Role at CDC

Tamara Maze is the associate director for health communication science with the National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD). In this capacity, she leads the Health Communication Science Office (HCSO) for NCBDDD.

HCSO advances the mission of NCBDDD by implementing and managing effective science-based communications to advance the health and well-being of our nation's most vulnerable populations.

Previous experience

Tamara has more than 20 years of progressive experience in public health and strategic communication. In 2004, she accepted a position at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) through the prestigious Presidential Management Fellowship program. She remained with the agency for 7 years in various health communication positions.

In 2011, she became the director of partnership communication for the Office of Health Communication and Education at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA). She was responsible for launching the first partnership engagement and communication office at the newly formed Center for Tobacco Products at FDA. In this role, she managed partnerships, content development, strategic communication, and strategic planning.

In 2023, she rejoined CDC as NCBDDD’s senior health communicator.

Education

Tamara has an undergraduate degree from the University of Houston and a graduate degree from Johns Hopkins University.