Althea Grant-Lenzy currently serves as the senior advisor for science for the deputy director for non-infectious diseases at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. She is responsible for advising the deputy director on crosscutting science activities and opportunities in the area of noncommunicable diseases (chronic diseases, birth defects and developmental disabilities, injury, and environmental health).

The primary focus of CAPT Grant-Lenzy’s work in is coordinating science on behalf of the agency across behavioral health areas, including mental health, cannabis, and alcohol. With respect to cannabis, CAPT Grant-Lenzy’s work has most recently focused on building capacity to use existing public health surveillance systems to monitor trends in marijuana use and to assess related health effects. CAPT Grant-Lenzy holds a PhD in biochemistry and molecular biology from Emory University, has more than 50 publications in peer-reviewed journals, and two decades of experience in public health.