Jay K. Varma, M.D. serves as the Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer. He was appointed to this role in September 2023. He has also served as a Director since November 2022.

Dr. Varma was previously a Professor of Population Health Sciences and Director of the Cornell Center for Pandemic Prevention and Response at Weill Cornell Medicine. He is an expert on the prevention and control of diseases, having led epidemic responses, developed global and national policies, and led large-scale programs that have saved many lives in China, Southeast Asia, Africa, and the United States. From 2001 to 2021, he worked for the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention with postings in Atlanta, Thailand, China, Ethiopia, and New York City. From 2020 to 2021, Dr. Varma served as the principal scientific spokesperson and architect for New York City’s COVID-19 pandemic response. In September 2021, Dr. Varma joined Weill Cornell Medicine to conduct research, training, and programs on public health and direct a new center focused on pandemic prevention, preparedness, and response.

Dr. Varma graduated with highest honors from Harvard University for his undergraduate education, and completed medical school, internal medicine residency, and chief residency at the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine.
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