Texas A&M veterinarian named head of Trump pandemic office
Gerald Parker, Jr., DVM, Ph.D., has been selected to head the Pandemic Preparedness and Response Policy under the Donald Trump administration. This White House office was created in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, and it was officially launched in 2023 to keep the United States equipped for biological threats and pathogens.
Parker is a former top U.S. health and security official, who has worked in the U.S. departments of Health and Human Services, Homeland Security and Defense under Democrat and Republican leaders. He also served 26 years in the military, and he is a former commander at the U.S. Army Medical Research Institute of Infectious Diseases.
Prior to his appointment to the PPRP office, Parker served as the associate dean for Global One Health at Texas A&M’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences. Global One Health uses a collaborative approach of animal, human and environmental health and science disciplines to improve and protect global health and security.
Parker’s past experience with human and animal disease is expected to be advantageous as he takes on critical concerns like Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza. Not only has avian influenza disrupted the poultry and dairy industries, it has also spread to at least 66 people—killing one person in Louisiana.
Parker is expected to begin his new White House role this week and devise a new plan to quell avian influenza cases as well as other disease concerns that could become problematic in the future.
Lacey Vilhauer can be reached at 620-227-1871 or lvilhauer@hpj.com.
