ATLANTA — The former commissioner of the Chicago Dept. of Public Dr. Allison Arwady will be heading to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for a director position.

Dr. Arwady will be leading the CDC’s National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. It is focused on violence, suicide, overdose and injury prevention.

Her first day is on Jan. 16, 2024.

“I am honored to join the CDC in tackling some of the most pressing public health issues that face our communities today,” said Dr. Arwady. “During my time leading Chicago’s Department of Public Health, I saw the power of using local data to drive public health action and I look forward to translating this experience to a national scale. From overdose to violence, this country is in crisis, and we must meet the crisis with strong public health approaches that center evidence and equity.”

Dr. Arwady was confirmed as commissioner in Jan. 2020 and had been with the Chicago Dept. of Public Health since 2015. However in August, she was suddenly terminated by Mayor Brandon Johnson.

“When I look back, I’m not thinking about the way it ended,” she told WGN News after her firing.

In addition to her role leading America’s third-largest city through the pandemic, Dr. Arwady volunteered as a tour guide on the famous Chicago Architecture Tour.