Leah Allen

Leah Allen supports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office of Acquisition Services in managing critical procurement activities that enable public health surveillance, laboratory diagnostics, and biomedical research. She handles complex acquisitions for scientific instrumentation, analytical services, and technical support systems essential to CDC’s mission of detecting and responding to infectious disease threats. Her work ensures timely access to high-precision laboratory equipment, data-driven analytical tools, and specialized testing services that underpin national health security operations. She operates within a framework of stringent compliance with federal acquisition regulations, prioritizing mission-critical delivery while maintaining fiscal accountability and regulatory integrity. Allen maintains consistent contracting relationships with leading providers in the public health and life sciences sectors, including General Dynamics Information Technology, GlaxoSmithKline, MRIGLOBAL, and Cepheid. These partnerships reflect a focus on high-capacity, scientifically validated vendors capable of delivering diagnostic systems, research support, and clinical testing infrastructure. Her procurement approach emphasizes technical rigor, performance-based outcomes, and long-term operational reliability, often involving multi-year task orders and indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) vehicles to sustain responsive, scalable capacity across CDC’s nationwide network. Her contracting patterns show a strong preference for open, competed acquisitions, with 83.3% of awards issued without set-asides, indicating a focus on broad market competition for mission-critical capabilities. While small business participation is modest at 16.7% overall, she actively engages 8(a) certified firms in targeted competitions, reflecting a measured commitment to socioeconomic goals without compromising technical requirements. Her approach balances regulatory obligations with operational urgency, ensuring that small business opportunities are pursued where capabilities align with CDC’s technical needs. Allen’s procurement focus centers on NAICS 334516 (analytical laboratory instrument manufacturing) and 541990 (professional scientific services), reflecting deep expertise in procuring advanced diagnostic devices, research support services, and testing infrastructure. She routinely acquires next-generation sequencing platforms, real-time PCR systems, and bioinformatics tools critical to infectious disease surveillance, demonstrating specialized knowledge in life sciences procurement and laboratory modernization initiatives.