Dr. States serves as the Acting Director of the Office of Science and Medicine and Chief Medical Officer to the Assistant Secretary for Health, in the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health (OASH) at the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). In these roles, he leads a staff of diverse clinicians and public health professionals and has proven himself as an effective leader and collaborator entrusted with a diverse portfolio addressing critical and emerging areas of public health interest for OASH and the Immediate Office of the HHS Secretary, including brain health mental health, substance use disorder, and emerging public health threats. He has been a leader within HHS around efforts to reconsider scheduling considerations regarding cannabis and has worked closely with USG partners with regards to psychedelic and entactogen policy and research.