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 and was involved in planning for and managing responses to national and international viral and natural disasters. During her career at CDC, she led the development of national pandemic preparedness plans and policies, conducted large-format exercises, and consulted with businesses, state and local governments, healthcare facilities, non-governmental organizations, academic institutions, and ministries of health around the world, to improve emergency preparedness.
She is one of the public health leaders featured in Michael Lewis's book, '. This author describes how Koonin, as part of a small team, developed the national policy that informed mitigation measures taken during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Koonin founded Health Preparedness Partners''' after her career with CDC. HPP helped organizations in their response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including providing practical and detailed guidance about determining when and how to return to the workplace, strategies for protecting employees and managing ongoing health risks. In her current role, Koonin provides consultation to businesses and organizations as they update their business continuity and emergency response plans for future health emergencies.