Carma Ayala

Background

About Carma Ayala

BIOSKETCH Carma Ayala is currently Senior Research Epidemiologist, CDC/NCCDPHP/DHDSP and Commander with the US Public Health Services Commissioned Corps. Carma Ayala received her ADN at age 19 and began a more than 40 year career working as a registered nurse and certified cardiovascular registered nurse (CCRN) in a variety of hospital and clinic settings. She worked as Research Coordinator for Clinical Trials then advanced to Associate Director of Research at the Texas Institute of Reproductive Medicine and Endocrinology. During this time, she completed her Masters of Public Health in International and Family Health and Doctorate of Philosophy in Biological Sciences and Epidemiology at the University of Texas. She came to CDC as an Epidemic Intelligence Service Officer in She continued as a Commissioned Corps officer assigned to the Cardiovascular Health Branch at the CDC, NCCDPHP, DACH as a Senior Research Epidemiologist. Following the growth of this branch to a new Division, she was the Associate Director of Science from 2006-2008 and now is Senior Research Epidemiologist. She has authored more than 50 scientific publications dealing with reproductive medicine, disparities in stroke and stroke subtype mortality, out-of-hospital stroke mortality trends, trends in hypertension detection and control, and hypertension related mortality among Hispanic subgroups, actions to control high blood pressure, actions to lower sodium intake among hypertensive. She led a CDC-funded Promotoras de Salud Contra Hipertension that resulted in a fotonovela and promotoras guide. Dr. Ayala continues to focus efforts on addressing known disparities and identifying disparities of 1) hypertension detection, management and control, 2) self-monitoring to imporve hypertension control, and 3) national and state-specific public health practices to help meet Healthy People 2020 goals related to reduction of hypertension prevalence and improved hypertension control.