For more than three decades, Anne Schuchat stood at the center of America's response to some of the most urgent public health crises of the modern era. From the anthrax attacks and SARS to the H1N1 influenza, measles, Ebola, vaping-related illnesses, and COVID-19, Schuchat helped guide the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention through profound moments of fear, uncertainty, and political upheaval. In The Epi Logs, she offers a deeply personal and sharply observed account of life inside one of the world's most influential public health institutions-and a powerful argument for why public service still matters. Schuchat traces her unlikely path from a young physician treating AIDS patients in New York hospitals to becoming the CDC's principal deputy director and acting director. Along the way, she recounts investigations into deadly outbreaks, tense moments before congressional hearings and White House briefings, and the behind-the-scenes collaborations that saved countless lives. She also reflects on the emotional toll of crisis work, the challenges women faced in scientific leadership, and the growing distrust that reshaped public health during and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Filled with vivid stories, humor, humility, and hard-earned wisdom, The Epi Logs reveals the human side of epidemiology and government service. At once a memoir, a leadership story, and a portrait of an institution under pressure, this book captures what it means to devote a career to protecting the public in complicated and deeply consequential times.
