Lisa M. Koonin

Lisa M. Koonin is an American public health official and medical researcher associated with the development of social distancing as a strategy to prevent the spread of viral diseases.

Lisa Koonin worked for over 30 years in the US government's Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and was involved in planning for and managing responses to national and international viral and natural disasters.

Professional areas of interest Koonin has published more than 100 peer-reviewed scientific publications on an array of public health and preparedness topics; her publications range from early work on maternal mortality, teen pregnancy, and reproductive health issues in the first twenty years of her career to work on influenza pandemics and emergency preparedness from 2008 on. She was awarded the 2024 annual Rosalind Franklin Society Award in Science from the journal Health Security for her paper “How Employers Impact Individual and Community Health During Public Health Emergencies: Rationale for Public Health/Private Sector Partnerships”. This award recognizes the outstanding research and published work of women and underrepresented minority scientists, physicians, and engineers.