Dr. M. Anita Barry is board certified in Internal Medicine and infectious Disease with extensive experience in public health. Anita was the director of communicable disease control at the Boston Public Health Commission, and its predecessor organization, Trustees of Health and Hospitals, from 1984 to 2017. As the director, she was responsible for the surveillance and control of all communicable diseases in the City of Boston. During that time, she remained a practicing infectious disease clinician, including for a number of years, management of the BPHC Tuberculosis Clinic. In addition, for over 30 years, she has taught as an assistant professor at the Boston University School of Medicine and as an assistant professor at the Boston University School of Public Health.

Throughout her life, Anita has served and continues to serve on various advisory groups and committees, including the National Association of County and City Healthy officials Infectious Disease Prevention and Control Workgroup.