Ashwin Vasan

Dr. Ashwin Vasan, ScM, MD, PhD, is an internist, epidemiologist, and health policy expert with a national reputation for driving innovative public health solutions. He is currently a Senior Fellow at the Yale School of Public Health and Affiliate Faculty at the Jackson School of Global Affairs, after serving on the faculty at Columbia since 2014. As New York City’s Health Commissioner and Senior Public Health Advisor to the NYC Mayor (2021-2024), he led the city’s recovery from COVID-19 and launched HealthyNYC, an ambitious, data-driven initiative to raise life expectancy to a historic high by combating preventable, premature deaths. His tenure was marked by groundbreaking policies and programs in healthcare affordability, mental health, and overdose prevention, including an effort to relieve $2 billion in medical debt, and the establishment of NYC’s first Office of Healthcare Accountability, that transparently compares healthcare prices from hospital across the city.

A leader in forging public-private partnerships, Dr. Vasan integrated technology with health policy, founding the Center for Population Health Data Science — an advanced health informatics and data hub for the city — and enlisting over 30 private sector organizations in HealthyNYC’s Champions Initiative. He also spearheaded digital mental health programs, including NYC TeenSpace, serving over 50,000 New York City teens with licensed tele-mental health services, and expanded supportive housing and rehabilitative care for people with severe mental illness.

Before his appointment as Commissioner, Dr. Vasan was President and CEO of Fountain House, transforming it into a national force for mental health advocacy, securing major philanthropic investments, and expanding Medicaid-reimbursable services. His career began with a decade in global health, working with Partners In Health and the WHO to expand AIDS treatment access. He is an active and trusted advisor on health policy to myriad campaigns as well as for sitting elected officials.

A native of Chicago with roots in Chennai, India, he holds degrees from UCLA, Harvard, the University of Michigan, and the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. He serves as an advisor to the Milken Institute, and on the Board of Directors at the Child Mind Institute, OneMind, Inseparable and the Mental Health Coalition.

He previously served on the Boards of the Greater New York Hospital Association, New York Academy of Medicine, New York City Health+Hospitals System, Transportation Alternatives, and other health and nonprofit institutions.