He led efforts to control botulism, ebola, malaria, smallpox and emerging infectious diseases.

[2] After graduating, Breman first worked for the CDC in Michigan, where he led the response to the country's, at the time, worst botulism outbreak.

[3][2][7] The outbreak was so severe that the pilots that dropped them off in the remote area of the epidemic did not expect to see them return alive.

While there, he oversaw research between the CDC and 15 countries in Africa regarding pregnancy-associated malaria, antimalarial medications, insecticide-treated mosquito nets.

In 1995, he joined the National Institutes of Health's Fogarty International Center, where he oversaw the formation of a research program investigating emerging infectious diseases.

The procession of his body out of the synagogue featured musicians playing Amazing Grace on tuba, drum, trumpet, clarinet, and accordion.