Zaria Tatalovich is the Acting Chief of the Surveillance Systems Branch (SSB) in the Surveillance Research Program (SRP). As the Acting Chief of SSB, Dr. Tatalovich helps coordinate surveillance systems development efforts, and oversees quality improvement of cancer data and registry operations. Since joining SRP, Dr. Tatalovich has taken part in, and provided extensive leadership for, various cancer surveillance projects. In particular, she led the development of new geospatial/geo-statistical tools, models, and data for more comprehensive assessment of geographic variations in cancer risk among different population subgroups; served as the Scientific Lead for the State Cancer Profiles and as a representative of the National Cancer Institute (NCI) on several committees within the North American Association of Central Cancer Registries (NAACCR); and collaborated on various research projects on environmental exposures, tobacco control, and contextual influences on health at the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). She has also contributed to the development of a program announcement on spatial uncertainty, and took a leading role in organizing an NIH-Wide Geospatial Infrastructure Workshop in 2011.

Dr. Tatalovich has Master's degrees in Geography and Psychology, and received a Ph.D. in Geography from the University of Southern California (USC). She has published peer-reviewed articles and book chapters, and has earned awards for her contribution to geo-statistical modeling of potential UV exposure.