Jay Varma, MD

Jay brings extraordinary depth and experience at the intersection of public health, clinical medicine, and economic mobility. Over the course of his career, he has served in senior leadership roles at the New York City Department of Health, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in the U.S. and internationally, and academic institutions including Weill Cornell Medicine, where he was a full professor and founder of the Cornell Center of Pandemic Prevention and Response. He has also taught and advised graduate and executive-level students on evidence-based decision-making in health care, health policy, and population health.

Jay has served as a practicing physician at Community Healthcare Network in New York, after holding senior advisory roles across government, academia, and the private sector, including as Executive Vice President and Chief Medical Officer at a global life sciences company.

His work has spanned infectious disease control, health system preparedness, HIV and sexual health, global health security, and pandemic response, often in complex, high-stakes environments.

Jay earned his Doctor of Medicine from the University of California, San Diego School of Medicine. He completed his undergraduate education at Harvard College, where he received an A.B., magna cum laude with Highest Honors, concentrating in the History of Science. He is board certified in Internal Medicine and has specialty certification in HIV medicine.

Jay Varma, MD

Senior Vice President for Health Practice and Chief Medical Officer

jvarma@fedcap.org