Mississippi State Epidemiologist Dr. Paul Byers is retiring from the Mississippi State Department of Health on June 30, the agency announced.
Byers has served MSDH in various roles for over 30 years. He became the State epidemiologist in 2016 and led the state through the COVID-19 pandemic alongside former State Health Officer Dr. Thomas Dobbs, who retired last year.
“Dr. Byers will be hugely missed—not only for his institutional knowledge and expertise, but also for his constant professionalism and patience,” State Health Officer Dr. Dan Edney said in a June 2 press release. “He has an unparalleled ability to explain complicated issues with clarity and simplicity. That has been a huge asset in working with the public and our public health partners.”
Deputy State Epidemiologist Dr. Kathryn Taylor, a Jackson, Miss., native, will become the interim state epidemiologist on July 1. Before MSDH named her as deputy state epidemiologist in 2019, she worked at MSDH as a District V health officer and medical consultant for the Office of Communicable Diseases.
Taylor is a graduate of Mississippi College and the University of Mississippi Medical Center.
“Dr. Taylor has worked in tandem with me for the past several years investigating outbreaks and
responding to a variety of public health emergencies, most notably COVID,” said Byers in the press release. “Her knowledge and passion for the field of epidemiology is a benefit to the State of Mississippi.”
Correction: An earlier version of this story referenced the Mississippi Department of Human Services; it should have said the Mississippi State Department of Health. We apologize for the error.
