Godfrey P. Oakley, Jr., MD, MSPM received his undergraduate education from Duke University, his MD from Wake Forest University School of Medicine, his pediatric residency from Cleveland Metropolitan General Hospital, and an MS in Preventive Medicine and a fellowship in Teratology from the University of Washington.

He began his 30-year career at CDC in the Epidemiologic Investigation Service, 1968-70. He became Chief, Etiology Studies Section, Bureau of Epidemiology, CDC, 1972-81, then Chief, Birth Defects Branch, Center for Environmental Health (CEH), 1981-85, and Director, Division of Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities, CEH, 1985-98. He has been at the Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, as Visiting Professor 1998-04, Research Professor, Department of Epidemiology, 2004-present, and Director, Center for Spina Bifida Research, Prevention, and Policy, Department of Epidemiology, since 2012. He became Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, Emory School of Medicine, in 2003.

Dr. Oakley was elected President of the Teratology Society and the American Epidemiology Society. His work has been recognized by the Needleman Medal for outstanding contributions to child health from the American Public Health Association (APHA), ABC World News Person of the Week, the March of Dimes’ Agnes Higgins Award for outstanding contributions to maternal fetal nutrition, the Watson Medal for Distinguished Service (the CDC’s highest award), the APHA John Snow Award for distinguished service to health through epidemiology, the 2020 Kenneth Rothman Career Accomplishment Award from the Society for Epidemiologic Research, and the 2023 Life Time Achievement Award from the Spina Bifida Association. He is a member of the NAM.