CALIFORNIA — November 5, 2026. Gov. Gavin Newsom appointed Colin Brown of Soquel as California’s state epidemiologist at the Department of Public Health, the governor’s office announced Thursday.

Experience in infectious diseases

Brown’s background includes senior work at the United Kingdom Health Security Agency on emerging infections, antimicrobial resistance and healthcare-associated infections. The announcement also lists a visiting professorship in infectious diseases at the University of Oxford and clinical work at London’s Royal Free Hospital.

The position does not require state Senate confirmation. The governor’s office lists compensation of $282,000.

Two other appointments announced Thursday

Jay LaPlante, a citizen of the Blackfeet Nation, was appointed tribal advisor at the California Public Utilities Commission. His listed compensation is $150,324. Former San Francisco supervisor Michela Alioto-Pier was appointed to the California Citizens Compensation Commission, with compensation of $100 per diem.

Neither appointment requires Senate confirmation, according to the release. The announcement names the appointees and their professional backgrounds; it does not announce a new health restriction or change to utility rates.

Source: Governor of California, appointments announced November 5, 2026.

INDEPENDENT JOURNALISM ACROSS CALIFORNIA

Support independent journalism for all Californians

Support reporting, public information and community coverage across California’s 58 counties.

Donate once by card ↗
Support independent California journalism Your contribution helps build and sustain independent community reporting across California.
Support California58

Choose how to support California58:

Credit / Debit Card via Stripe

Choose an amount from $1. One-time support through the publisher's LINKERNO Stripe account.

Continue with PayPal Continue with Zelle

Zelle payments go to Vitaly Ataev Troshin. Please verify the recipient in your bank before sending. Availability depends on your bank.

Optional reader support. Contributions are not advertised as tax-deductible. Support does not influence editorial decisions.
Optional support through the publisher. Contributions are not advertised as tax-deductible and never buy editorial influence.

USEFUL SERVICES

Useful services from our ecosystem

AFFILIATED RESOURCE

Travel smarter worldwide

OptionTrip

AI-powered trip planning for journeys in California and around the world.

Explore OptionTrip →

AFFILIATED RESOURCE

Free tax & property tools

TaxesTime

Free preliminary tax and property tools, including the Property Tax Savings Report.

Explore TaxesTime →

AFFILIATED RESOURCE

California document support

LegalDocSVC

Document preparation support for self-represented Californians. Not a law firm and not legal advice.

Explore LegalDocSVC →

WORK WITH CALIFORNIA58

Have a story, project or partnership idea?

California58 welcomes news tips, interviews, video projects, community partnerships, advertising and other California-focused collaborations.

Work with California58 →

COMMUNITY

Comments

Join the California58 conversation. You must be signed in to comment.