Jeffrey Freeman PhD, MPH

Education

Ph.D., Environmental Health and Engineering, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, USA
M.P.H., Global Health and Infectious Diseases, Emory University, Atlanta, GA, USA
M.B.A., Executive Management, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Boston, MA, USA (in progress)
B.S., Psychology, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, USA

Biography

Dr. Jeffrey D. Freeman serves as the Inaugural Executive Director and Special Assistant to the President for the National Institute for Defense Health Cooperation (NIDHC), a consolidated institute that merges the strengths of three key organizations: the National Center for Disaster Medicine and Public Health (NCDMPH), the Center for Global Health Engagement (CGHE), and the Defense Institute for Medical Operations (DIMO). Prior to his current role, Dr. Freeman served as Director and Special Assistant to the President for NCDMPH. In that role, Dr. Freeman led the National Joint Research and Education Program in Disaster Medicine for all executive departments and directed a nation-wide ecosystem comprised of leading medical research institutions.

Dr. Freeman came to government service from MIT Lincoln Laboratory where he worked briefly in the Biotechnology and Human Systems Division Office before accepting an appointment as NCDMPH Director. Prior to MIT, Dr. Freeman was a part of the senior leadership team in the National Health Mission of the Johns Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory (APL) where he established the Prevention, Preparedness, and Response Program, and created the Johns Hopkins Disaster Response Corps, which mobilizes scientists and technology in support of the Nation’s response to disasters. While at Johns Hopkins, Dr. Freeman was selected as an Emerging Leader in Biosecurity Fellow by the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security. Before coming to Johns Hopkins to pursue his doctoral studies, Dr. Freeman was involved in the creation of the Center for Humanitarian Emergencies at Emory University. Throughout his career, Dr. Freeman has led hundreds of scientists in support of responses to violent conflicts, natural disasters, pandemics and other health emergencies. In March 2020, at the request of senior government officials, Dr. Freeman mobilized a team of several hundred scientists in support of the Federal COVID-19 Response. He would go on to lead more than 400 technical staff supporting work across the federal response, to include efforts related to authoritative data, senior leader decision-making, medical operations, medical supply chain, testing and diagnostics, and medical countermeasures development. Presently, Dr. Freeman is leading a Congressionally directed effort to assess the Nation’s military and civilian health systems to improve their readiness to support an overseas large-scale combat operation or other catastrophic event in the homeland.

Dr. Freeman’s formal education includes advanced training and education in health, engineering, and business, including a Master of Public Health degree in Global Health and Infectious Diseases from Emory University, a PhD in Environmental Health and Engineering from Johns Hopkins University, and a Master of Business Administration (in progress) in Executive Management from MIT. He has specialized training in Complex Humanitarian Emergencies, Biomedical Informatics, Risk Sciences, and Public Policy. In addition to his duties as NIDHC Director, Dr. Freeman is jointly appointed as an Associate Professor in both the Military and Emergency Medicine Department and the Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics Department at the Uniformed Services University where his primary research interests include advanced training for complex environments and human performance under extreme duress.