The head of the US Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Dr. Julie Gerberding has - in an email to the employees, Department of Health and Human Services - Friday night announced her resignation from the post. Her resignation is aimed at making way for President-elect Barack Obama's incoming team.

Gerberding took over the reins of CDC in July 2002, though she was a relative newcomer to the agency - she joined in 1998, heading the patient safety initiative of the agency's Division of Healthcare Quality Promotion.

With the resignation of Gerberding - the woman leading the country's public health agency in the post-September 11 period of bioterrorist fears - the chief operating officer of CDC, William H. Gimson III, will act as the head of the agency on an interim basis till Obama's inauguration January 20.

The chief of staff for the outgoing HHS, Rich McKeown, and the Secretary Mike Leavitt, signed the memorandum announcing the resignation of Gerberding.

Along with Gerberding, some other senior CDC leaders are also submitting their resignations, which will be effective January 20.

In a statement, CDC spokesman Glen Nowak said: "As part of the transition process, the Administration requested resignation letters from a number of senior-level officials, including Dr. Julie Gerberding. This week, the Administration accepted Dr. Gerberding's resignation, effective January 20."

Obama has selected Tom Daschle as the HHS Secretary, but there is no announcement with regard to Gerberding's successor to the post of CDC director.