Arlington, Virginia, United States, October 2025 — The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) has announced the appointment of Manisha Juthani, MD, Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health, as the organization’s 83rd President. Dr. Juthani succeeds Scott Harris, MD, MPH, State Health Officer for the Alabama Department of Public Health.
As Connecticut’s Health Commissioner, who assumed the role in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Juthani led the state’s efforts to transition its public health response as Connecticut emerged from the pandemic. Her work focused on revitalizing and strengthening public health systems in critical areas including maternal health, opioid use, sexually transmitted diseases, and environmental health risks. She also prioritized the recruitment and retention of a strong public health workforce and enhanced collaboration with local health departments to improve community health outcomes statewide.
“When I assumed the role of commissioner, I quickly realized the invaluable resource that ASTHO was to state health officials,” said Manisha Juthani, MD, FIDSA, FSHEA, FACP, ASTHO President. “Whether it was providing up to date public health content, connections to federal partners, venues for colleagues to learn from each other, or resources to navigate new and old challenges, I knew I would receive more than I could ever give to this organization. I am humbled to be elected president by my peers and hope to lead us through a time of transition while elevating the critical role public health has played in maintaining the health and safety of all.”
“It’s an honor to welcome Dr. Manisha Juthani as our next president,” said ASTHO CEO Joseph Kanter, MD, MPH. “Dr. Juthani brings a wealth of experience to this role. She has been instrumental in supporting the well-being of people in Connecticut through her leadership and is a respected member of the ASTHO Board of Directors. Her commitment to advancing health outcomes and her innovative approach to public health will be invaluable as we work to address the most pressing health challenges facing our nation. I am confident that under her leadership, ASTHO will continue to thrive.”
Dr. Juthani’s distinguished career in medicine and public health spans over two decades. She earned her BA from the University of Pennsylvania and her MD from Cornell University Medical College. Following her internal medicine residency at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Campus, she served as chief resident at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center before completing her infectious diseases fellowship at Yale School of Medicine in 2002.
In 2006, she joined the Yale faculty and became Professor of Medicine, directing the Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program from 2012 to 2021. Her federally funded research has focused on infections in older adults, earning recognition for her contributions to pneumonia prevention and antibiotic stewardship. Her expertise has been featured in major media outlets including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, CNN, and BBC. In 2021, she was appointed Commissioner of the Connecticut Department of Public Health, becoming the first Indian American to hold this position in the state.
In addition to her leadership at the Connecticut Department of Public Health, Dr. Juthani continues to be an influential educator, researcher, and physician, mentoring the next generation of infectious disease specialists while shaping public health policy at both state and national levels.
Daniel Edney, MD, State Health Officer for the Mississippi Department of Public Health, will serve as ASTHO President-Elect.
About ASTHO
The Association of State and Territorial Health Officials (ASTHO) is the national nonprofit organization representing the public health agencies of the United States, U.S. territories, freely associated states, and Washington, D.C., as well as more than 100,000 public health professionals. ASTHO’s members, the chief health officials of these jurisdictions, are dedicated to formulating and influencing sound public health policy and ensuring excellence in public health practice across the nation.
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