Sara Huston

Dr. Sara Huston is an Associate Research Professor at the Muskie School of Public Service, University of Southern Maine, and serves as the Lead Chronic Disease Epidemiologist for the Maine Center for Disease Control and Prevention (Maine CDC). With over 20 years of experience in applied public health epidemiology, she specializes in chronic disease surveillance and policy. Her career began with the U.S. CDC Epidemic Intelligence Service in North Carolina, followed by roles at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill and the N.C. Division of Public Health.

Dr. Huston holds a PhD in Epidemiology from the University of Pittsburgh Graduate School of Public Health (1993) and a BA in Biology/Anthropology from Hampshire College (1988).

Her research focuses on chronic disease epidemiology—including stroke, cancer, and asthma—public health surveillance, health disparities, and the environmental and policy influences on nutrition and physical activity. She also explores spatial analysis and the dissemination of public health data. Dr. Huston leads a team at Maine CDC addressing asthma, cancer, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and tobacco control.

Active in professional organizations, she serves on the Editorial Board of Preventing Chronic Disease and contributes to the Chronic Disease Committee of the Council of State and Territorial Epidemiologists.