(CNN) Dr. Robert Redfield has been selected as the next director of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Department of Health and Human Services announced Wednesday. Redfield is an infectious disease specialist with a focus on HIV and AIDS and is a professor at the University of Maryland School of Medicine. "Dr. Redfield has dedicated his entire life to promoting public health and providing compassionate care to his patients, and we are proud to welcome him as director of the world's premier epidemiological agency," Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar said in a statement. Follow CNN Health on Facebook and Twitter See the latest news and share your comments with CNN Health on Facebook and Twitter. The Center for Science in the Public Interest released a statement urging the administration against naming him to the post, claiming a lack of experience in leading a public health agency, a history of scientific misconduct and support for HIV/AIDS policies that are opposed by most public health experts.

Source: CNN March 21, 2018 21:33 UTC