Richard E. Besser

Richard E. Besser (born August 29, 1959) is an American doctor and executive who has served as president and CEO of the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation since April 2017. Besser served as the acting director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) from January to June 2009. He was ABC News' former chief health and medical editor. Besser is a brother-in-law to Scottish singer Annie Lennox. Life and career Besser grew up in Princeton, New Jersey, and graduated from Princeton High School in 1977. He is of Jewish descent. His brother, Mitch, is married to singer Annie Lennox. Besser received his Bachelor of Arts degree in economics from Williams College and his medical degree from the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine in 1986. After graduation, Besser completed a residency and a chief residency in pediatrics at Johns Hopkins University Hospital. In 1991, Besser joined the Epidemic Intelligence Service, which is under the supervision of the CDC. He was sent to Boston to investigate a minor outbreak of E. coli there. Officials were unhappy at the length and cost of the investigation, which included collecting deer feces from apple orchards, but Besser eventually found the source of the outbreak, which was apple cider.