Dr. Laura Chanchien Parajón is a family physician and public health leader with more than three decades of experience spanning academia, nonprofit leadership, and local, state, and federal government. Throughout her career, she has focused on translating epidemiological data into actionable strategies, strengthening public health systems, and advancing evidence-based decision-making to improve population health outcomes. 

She currently serves as Director of the Center for Health Protection at the New Mexico Department of Health, where she oversees epidemiology and emergency response operations. Prior to this role, she served as Principal Deputy Director and Acting Director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion. She has also held leadership positions as New Mexico's Deputy Cabinet Secretary and State Health Officer and served as Associate Professor in the Department of Family and Community Medicine at the University of New Mexico. 

Dr. Parajón earned her medical degree and public health training at the University of New Mexico and is board-certified in Family Medicine.