HHS has tapped five senior leaders to help drive President Donald Trump’s Make America Healthy Again initiative, with four of the five appointees having secured Senate confirmation.
“I promised President Trump I would deliver meaningful reform at HHS and improve the health and well-being of every American,” HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. said in a Nov. 24 news release. “Fulfilling that commitment includes placing strong, capable leaders where they can make the greatest impact.”
Below are the five new HHS leaders and their respective areas of responsibility:
1. Brian Christine, MD, was appointed HHS assistant secretary for health. In his news role, Dr. Christine will work to restore trust in public health, address the nation’s health crisis and increase transparency. He was confirmed Oct. 7 by the U.S. Senate.
Dr. Christine is a member of the American Urologic Association, Sexual Medicine Society of North America, the International Society for Sexual Medicine and the International Continence Society. He also leads the Commissioned Corps of the U.S. Public Health Service, a 5,000-member uniformed service dedicated to protecting and advancing the nation’s health.
2. Alex Adams, PharmD, was named HHS assistant secretary for family support for the administration for children and families. Dr. Adams spent more than a decade in the Idaho state government, working as Gov. Brad Little’s budget and regulatory director and state department of health and welfare director.
During that time, Dr. Adams worked to improve the child welfare system through expanding foster care support, strengthening foster home recruitment and updating licensing standards. He was confirmed Oct. 7.
3. Gustav Chiarello was appointed HHS assistant secretary of financial resources. Prior to this role, Mr. Chiarello served as senior special counsel to the House Committee on the Judiciary, chaired by Rep. Jim Jordan, R-Ohio.
Mr. Chiarello served on the House Subcommittee on the Administrative State, Regulatory Reform and Antitrust, chaired by Rep. Scott Fitzgerald, R-Wis. He also served as an attorney at the Federal Trade Commission and as an attorney advisor to acting FTC Chairman Maureen Ohlhausen in President Trump’s first term. He was confirmed into his new role Oct. 7.
4. Michael Stuart was named HHS general counsel. Prior to his new role, Mr. Stuart served as a United States Attorney, where he spearheaded federal law enforcement across the southern district of West Virginia and was part of planning and executing law enforcement actions across the country and greater Appalachian area.
He also served as a certified public accountant for an international accounting firm, chair of the West Virginia Republican party, partner at two national law firms, state senator and chair of the West Virginia State Senate Judiciary Committee, and founder and managing member of Vandalia Law. He was confirmed into his new role Oct. 7.
5. Alicia Jackson, PhD, was named HHS director of advanced research projects agency for health. Prior to her new role, Dr. Jackson founded and served as CEO for Evernow, a company that focuses on women’s health and longevity.
She also served as a program manager and deputy director of the defense advanced research projects agency’s biological technologies office, where she led an investment portfolio across biomanufacturing, medicine development and biodefense to protect the country while moving scientific capabilities forward. Dr. Jackson also served as a senate policy advisor, a board member, co-founder and led multiple health and biotech startups.
