Melissa Lera

Melissa Lera supports the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s Office of Acquisition Services in managing critical procurement activities that enable public health preparedness and scientific response. She specializes in acquiring high-complexity laboratory diagnostics, biomedical research tools, and data infrastructure services essential to disease surveillance and outbreak response. Her work ensures the CDC maintains operational readiness through timely acquisition of mission-critical technologies, including analytical instrumentation, diagnostic platforms, and cloud-based data systems that support real-time epidemiological analysis and laboratory network coordination. Lera maintains consistent partnerships with leading providers in public health technology and biomedical services, including General Dynamics Information Technology, Cepheid, MRIGLOBAL, GlaxoSmithKline, and New York City Health & Hospitals Corp. These relationships reflect a strategic focus on vendors with proven expertise in infectious disease detection, molecular diagnostics, and large-scale public health data management. Her contracting approach emphasizes performance-based outcomes, technical compliance, and long-term operational sustainability, fostering collaborative vendor engagement grounded in regulatory rigor and scientific alignment. Her procurement patterns show a strong preference for open competition, with 87.5% of acquisitions conducted without set-asides, reflecting the specialized nature of the goods and services required. Nevertheless, she actively supports small business participation through Total Small Business Set-Asides under FAR 19.5, ensuring qualified small firms have access to opportunities in diagnostics, consulting, and technical services, consistent with federal socioeconomic goals. Lera’s primary procurement focus lies in NAICS 334516 (analytical laboratory instrument manufacturing), where she secures advanced diagnostic equipment for CDC laboratories, alongside significant activity in 518210 (data infrastructure), 541690 (scientific consulting), and 621498 (outpatient care services). Her domain expertise spans molecular diagnostics, biosurveillance systems, and health informatics platforms, positioning her at the intersection of public health science and federal acquisition excellence.