Hillary Carter, PhD

Dr. Hillary H. Carter serves as the Senior Strategist for Global Health Security in the Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy (GHSD). Prior to this role, she served as the Acting Principal Deputy Coordinator for Global Health Security where she helped set the strategic vision for the State Department’s new Bureau and launch the Foreign Ministry Channel for Health Security.  

Dr. Carter has held leadership roles at the White House National Security Council, serving two tours, and at the Department of Homeland Security where she drove policy actions to strengthen global health security, respond to infectious disease threats, and counter chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear weapons threats. During her White House tenure, she led the development of the first U.S. Global Health Security Strategy and the 2019 National Biodefense Strategy, which she helped revise in 2022.

Dr. Carter started her government career at the State Department as an American Association for the Advancement of Science Fellow, before serving in the Bureau of International Security and Nonproliferation where she managed multi-million-dollar programs to strengthen global security. She holds a Ph.D. in cell and developmental biology from Vanderbilt University and earned a Key Executive Leadership Certificate from American University.