Dr. States serves as the Deputy Director of the Office of Science and Medicine and Chief Medical Officer to the Assistant Secretary for Health, in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) at the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In these roles, he leads a diverse portfolio addressing critical and emerging areas of public health interest for OASH and the Immediate Office of the HHS Secretary, including behavioral health, mental health, substance disorder, and emerging public health threats. He has been a leader within HHS around efforts to reconsider scheduling considerations regarding cannabis and has worked closely across HHS Divisions to address potential therapeutic roles for pschedelics and entactogens.
Before HHS, he spent nine years on active duty as a Navy Medical Officer serving in roles including Battalion Surgeon of a Marine infantry battalion, Public Health Emergency Officer for Navy Medicine West, and Officer in Charge of a Forward Deployable Preventive Medicine Unit. A native of Long Beach, California, States received his MD from the UCSD School of Medicine, completed residency training and an MPH at Loma Linda University, and earned an MBA from the George Washington University. He is board certified in preventive medicine and a Fellow of the American College of Preventive Medicine. His personal awards include the ACPM Distinguished Federal Preventive Medicine Medical Officer Award, Meritorious Service Medal, Navy and Marine Corps Commendation Medal, and Navy and Marine Corps Achievement Medal.