Commander, National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion

Cria Perrine is a Commander in the U.S. Public Health Service and the Lead of the Maternal, Infant, and Toddler Nutrition Team in CDC’s Division of Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Obesity. Her team’s work includes research, surveillance, and programs to improve nutrition and feeding from pregnancy through early childhood.

Dr. Perrine joined CDC in 2008 as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer assigned to the International Micronutrient Malnutrition Prevention and Control Team, where she worked with global programs in several countries to implement and monitor micronutrient intervention programs. She then joined the Infant Feeding Team, as the lead epidemiologist for CDC’s Maternity Practices in Infant Nutrition and Care (mPINC) survey, conducting analyses to produce individualized hospital reports, and state and national data on hospital practices that support breastfeeding. Dr. Perrine has supported multiple CDC emergency response efforts, including pandemic H1N1 (2009), Ebola (2014), and Lung Injury (2019).

She received a PhD in Nutrition and Health Sciences from Emory University, and has authored more than 70 publications related to breastfeeding, nutrition, and maternal and child health.