Jennifer Flood, MD, MPH, chief of the Tuberculosis Control Branch at the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and a collaborator with the Institute for Global Health Sciences, has been named TB Controller of the Year by the National TB Controllers Association (NTCA) at the organization’s annual meeting in April.

The NTCA recognized Flood for her impact on tuberculosis prevention and control. As chief of the CDPH TB control branch, she has been instrumental in developing and leading the California TB Elimination Plan, which aims to eliminate TB from the state by 2040.

As a cornerstone of the plan, Flood focused on prevention of TB by targeting latent TB infection. She led the creation and widespread implementation of a TB Risk Assessment Tool to identify for latent TB infection testing adults who are at high risk for TB exposure or progression to TB disease.

Flood’s nomination described her work as pivotal to changing the approach to TB prevention and control. “Dr. Flood has brought around California’s TB control community to believe in elimination through her dogged efforts to plan, inspire and leverage resources,” the nomination read.

“Dr. Flood is a consummate public health leader who is bringing tuberculosis to the brink of eradication in California,” said George Rutherford, MD, director of the Prevention and Public Health Group at IGHS and co-chair of the California TB Elimination Advisory Committee. “She is a case study in how to combine clinical training, public health experience and deep, deep understanding of tuberculosis and health care systems to improve the health of all Californians.”