NEW YORK (Diya TV) — Indian American doctor and public health leader Dr. Ashwin Vasan has been named a Menschel Senior Leadership Fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health for the spring semester. As a fellow, he will teach a course on health policy and leadership and mentor students seeking leadership positions in public health.
Dr. Vasan, Commissioner of the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene from March 2022 to October 2024, oversaw efforts to enhance life expectancy, transform the mental health system, eliminate medical debt, and enhance access to reproductive health care. He also led the city’s response to significant public health crises, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the mpox epidemic.
Grateful for the honor, Dr. Vasan said, “Privileged to be named a Menschel Senior Leadership Fellow at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health and Harvard University this spring and to return to my alma mater to teach and learn from the wonderful students and community.”
He added, “Public health and health leadership are changing rapidly, and I’m excited to share what I’ve learned and experienced over 20 years as we navigate a rapidly changing world and key health and social challenges.”
A Harvard T.H. Chan School graduate, Dr. Vasan earned his Sc.M. in Epidemiology in 2004. He also holds degrees from UCLA, the University of Michigan Medical School, and the London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine. His experience includes extensive global health work, particularly HIV/AIDS treatment, with organizations such as Partners In Health and the World Health Organization.
He has been a member of the faculty at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health since 2014 and practices as a primary care physician at Columbia University Irving Medical Center/NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, serving low-income and uninsured patients.
Along with Dr. Vasan, former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Marcia Fudge has been appointed a Menschel Senior Leadership Fellow at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. She will instruct courses and mentor students for the spring semester.
The Menschel Senior Leadership Fellowship brings individuals who have recently served in senior government, multilateral organization, nonprofit, or business positions to the Harvard Chan School campus to teach and advise students for an eight-week semester and participate in academic life at Harvard.
