Dr. Kis Robertson-Hale
Dr. Kis Robertson-Hale was appointed as the Deputy Assistant Administrator for the Office of Public Health Science (OPHS) in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Food Safety and Inspection Service (FSIS) in October 2017. In this role, Dr. Robertson-Hale partners with the OPHS Assistant Administrator in informing Agency decision making through a program responsible for scientific analysis, advice, and recommendations on matters related to science and public health.
These efforts ensure FSIS’ Strategic Goals 1 and 2: Prevent Foodborne Illness and Protect Public Health and Modernize Inspection Systems, Policies, and the Use of Scientific Approaches are executed to enhance a modernized scientific response to foodborne illness outbreaks and adulteration events.
Dr. Robertson-Hale’s career with FSIS began in 2003 in the Office of Field Operations, where she worked as an Enforcement, Investigation and Analysis Officer. In 2008, she joined the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer and led several domestic and international epidemiologic investigations related to rabies in human and animal populations. During 2010-2011, she continued with the CDC as a Preventive Medicine Fellow assigned to the Maryland Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, providing zoonotic disease expertise to the office of the State Public Health Veterinarian.
In 2011, she returned to FSIS and joined OPHS’ Applied Epidemiology Staff, ultimately becoming Deputy Director. In this role, she helped oversee the development and implementation of illness cluster surveillance activities, consumer complaint monitoring, and the coordination of outbreak investigations linked to meat and poultry products. She also was instrumental in characterizing and identifying trends in consumer-reported hazards leading to voluntary product recalls and harmonizing federal activities related to whole genome sequencing.
Her educational background includes a Bachelor of Science Degree from the Georgia Institute of Technology, a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine Degree from Tuskegee University, and a Master of Public Health Degree from the University of Minnesota. She also is board certified in veterinary preventive medicine. She is a Rear Admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service.