Karen Hoffmann is a clinical instructor at University of North Carolina's School of Medicine. She has specialized in infection prevention and control for over 4 decades, including serving for 24 years as the Associate Director of the North Carolina Statewide Program for Infection Control and Epidemiology (SPICE). Karen also served as the Infection Preventionist Consultant for the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) from 2011 to 2020.

She is a Fellow in both the Society of Healthcare Epidemiology of America (SHEA) and Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology (APIC). Karen has served on numerous chapter and national committees and elected positions and was the 2019 APIC National President. She has received several awards for her service and contributions to the field of Infection prevention, to include Infection Today's "Educator of the Year", SHEA's Advanced Practice Award, APIC's Carol B DeMille Lifetime Achievement Award and North Carolina's Old North State Award for exemplary service to the citizens of the state. Karen has published primary research articles, outbreaks and chapters in the medical literature and is a frequent speaker and for national, and international conferences. Karen earned her BS in Nursing from Indiana University and her master’s in healthcare epidemiology from the University of Virginia.