Alexander Langmuir | |
---|---|
Born | |
Died | November 22, 1993 Baltimore, Maryland, US | (aged 83)
Alma mater | |
Known for | Epidemic Intelligence Service |
Spouses | |
Children | 5 |
Awards |
|
Scientific career | |
Fields | Epidemiology |
Institutions | Centers for Disease Control and Prevention |
Alexander Duncan Langmuir (/ˈlæŋmjʊər/; September 12, 1910 – November 22, 1993) was an American epidemiologist who served as Chief Epidemiologist of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 1949 to 1970, developing the Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) as a training program for epidemiologists.
During his tenure, Langmuir broadened the CDC's scope to include the epidemiology of non-communicable diseases, environmental health, and family planning. Additionally, Langmuir increased coordination between the CDC and state and territorial epidemiologists.
Langmuir has been praised for transferring publication of the Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) to the CDC, ushering in plain English explanations of ongoing health crises that were useful for both scientists and members of the public.