Litjen (L.J) Tan

Litjen (L.J) Tan has a diverse work experience spanning multiple organizations and roles.

Litjen (L.J) began their career as a Postdoctoral Fellow at the University of Chicago Medical Center from January 1993 to June 1995. Litjen (L.J) then served as a Research Associate Faculty at Northwestern University School of Medicine from 1995 to 1997.

In 1997, Tan joined the American Medical Association, where they held various positions including Director of Medicine and Public Health from June 2008 to December 2012, and Director of Infectious Diseases, Immunology, and Molecular Medicine from November 1997 to September 2008. Their responsibilities included national policy development, advocacy, scientific research, guidance writing, public speaking, and consensus building, with a particular focus on immunizations and emerging infectious diseases.

From January 2000 onwards, Tan served as the Co-Chair of the National Adult and Influenza Immunization Summit, dedicating their efforts to promoting adult and influenza immunization.

Starting in August 2009, Tan became a Member of the National Vaccine Advisory Committee (NVAC), advising the Department of Health and Human Services on vaccine policy. Although they rotated off the NVAC in September 2013, they continued to serve on the NVAC's HPV, Vaccine Confidence, and Maternal Immunization Working Groups.

Tan also contributed to the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) as a Liaison Member from January 2002 to December 2012. Litjen (L.J) provided review of ACIP vaccine recommendations, offered feedback on policy implications, and disseminated recommendations to immunization stakeholders. Their involvement extended to participating in ACIP working groups, including the Evidence-based WG and the pneumococcal WG.

In addition, Tan served as a Liaison Member of the Advisory Council for the Elimination of TB (ACET) from January 2006 to December 2012, and as a Member of the Steering Committee for the National Viral Hepatitis Roundtable (NVHR) from 2006 to 2009.

Currently, Tan holds the position of Chief Policy and Partnerships Officer at Immunize.org. Litjen (L.J) began this role in April 2022. Prior to this, they served as the Chief Strategy Officer from December 2012 to April 2023. In these roles, Tan focused on studying, discussing, and developing national policy and advocacy related to vaccine preventable diseases (VPD). Litjen (L.J) also spoke nationally and internationally on VPD-related issues, highlighting the educational and outreach efforts of the Immunization Action Coalition.

Overall, Tan's work experience reflects their expertise in vaccine policy, public health advocacy, and their dedication to promoting immunizations and preventing vaccine preventable diseases.

Litjen (L.J) Tan has a strong background in scientific education, with a focus on microbiology, immunology, molecular biology, and zoology/animal biology. Litjen (L.J) obtained their Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) degree from Northwestern University - The Feinberg School of Medicine, specializing in Microbiology/Immunology. This degree was earned between 1987 and 1992. Prior to that, they completed their Master of Science (MS) degree in Molecular Biology from New York University, which took place from 1983 to 1985. Tan's undergraduate studies were conducted at Duke University, where they pursued a Bachelor of Science (BS) degree in Zoology/Animal Biology, which they completed from 1980 to 1983.