Rajeev Venkayya
Encyclopedia
Dr. Rajeev Venkayya is the Director for Global Health Delivery at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
, where he oversees late-stage development of health technologies and interventions as well as efforts to expand access to health solutions in the developing world. He reports to the President of Global Health, Dr. Tachi Yamada
.
Previously, Dr. Venkayya was the Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Biodefense
. He was appointed to this position in May 2005. Dr Venkayya was a member of the White House Homeland Security Council, and reported to Frances Townsend
, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism. He also served as an advisor to Dr. Julie Gerberding
, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
(CDC). He has served as one of thirteen non-partisan White House Fellows
appointed by President Bush from 2002-03.
Dr. Venkayya is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). He is board certified and licensed to practice Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care Medicine, and returns to UCSF annually as an attending physician in the Medical Intensive Care Unit and the Pulmonary Consult Service at San Francisco General Hospital.
Prior to moving to Washington, Dr. Venkayya was an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at UCSF. He held his primary appointment at San Francisco General Hospital, where he was Co-Director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit, Founder and Director of the High-Risk Asthma Clinic, and the principal investigator for a five-year research grant from the National Institutes of Health
(NIH) to study the immunologic mechanisms leading to asthma
.
Dr. Venkayya founded two companies while at UCSF: Sapient Medical Group, Inc., a physician services corporation, and Neomedicus, LLC, a medical technology consulting and design firm. Through Neomedicus, he created “What’s Asthma All About?”, a web-based movie that has been used for asthma education by people around the globe.
Dr. Venkayya completed his fellowship training in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at UCSF. He was a resident and Chief Medical Resident in Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center. He completed his undergraduate and medical school education in the 6 year B.S./M.D. program at the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha
honorary medical society. He graduated as one of three valedictorian
s of Fairborn High School in 1985. He is an Eagle Scout
.
Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation
The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation is the largest transparently operated private foundation in the world, founded by Bill and Melinda Gates. It is "driven by the interests and passions of the Gates family"...
, where he oversees late-stage development of health technologies and interventions as well as efforts to expand access to health solutions in the developing world. He reports to the President of Global Health, Dr. Tachi Yamada
Tachi Yamada
Tadataka "Tachi" Yamada, MD, KBE , is the President of the Global Health Program at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation...
.
Previously, Dr. Venkayya was the Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for Biodefense
Biodefense
Biodefense refers to short term, local, usually military measures to restore biosecurity to a given group of persons in a given area who are, or may be, subject to biological warfare— in the civilian terminology, it is a very robust biohazard response. It is technically possible to apply...
. He was appointed to this position in May 2005. Dr Venkayya was a member of the White House Homeland Security Council, and reported to Frances Townsend
Frances Townsend
Frances M. Fragos Townsend is the former Homeland Security Advisor to United States President George W. Bush and TV personality. Townsend was appointed to this position by President Bush on May 28, 2004. Her resignation was announced November 19, 2007...
, the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Counterterrorism. He also served as an advisor to Dr. Julie Gerberding
Julie Gerberding
Julie Louise Gerberding, M.D., M.P.H. , is an American infectious disease expert and the former director of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and administrator of the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry .Gerberding led CDC's efforts to prepare for and counter terrorism...
, director of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are a United States federal agency under the Department of Health and Human Services headquartered in Druid Hills, unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, in Greater Atlanta...
(CDC). He has served as one of thirteen non-partisan White House Fellows
White House Fellows
The White House Fellows program was established by President of the United States Lyndon B. Johnson in October 1964. President Johnson articulated that the mission of the program was "to give the Fellows first hand, high-level experience with the workings of the federal government and to increase...
appointed by President Bush from 2002-03.
Dr. Venkayya is an Assistant Professor of Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). He is board certified and licensed to practice Pulmonary Medicine and Critical Care Medicine, and returns to UCSF annually as an attending physician in the Medical Intensive Care Unit and the Pulmonary Consult Service at San Francisco General Hospital.
Prior to moving to Washington, Dr. Venkayya was an Assistant Professor of Medicine in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at UCSF. He held his primary appointment at San Francisco General Hospital, where he was Co-Director of the Medical Intensive Care Unit, Founder and Director of the High-Risk Asthma Clinic, and the principal investigator for a five-year research grant from the National Institutes of Health
National Institutes of Health
The National Institutes of Health are an agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services and are the primary agency of the United States government responsible for biomedical and health-related research. Its science and engineering counterpart is the National Science Foundation...
(NIH) to study the immunologic mechanisms leading to asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...
.
Dr. Venkayya founded two companies while at UCSF: Sapient Medical Group, Inc., a physician services corporation, and Neomedicus, LLC, a medical technology consulting and design firm. Through Neomedicus, he created “What’s Asthma All About?”, a web-based movie that has been used for asthma education by people around the globe.
Dr. Venkayya completed his fellowship training in Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine at UCSF. He was a resident and Chief Medical Resident in Internal Medicine at the University of Michigan Medical Center. He completed his undergraduate and medical school education in the 6 year B.S./M.D. program at the Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine, where he was inducted into the Alpha Omega Alpha
Alpha Omega Alpha
The Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society, commonly called Alpha Omega Alpha and abbreviated ΑΩΑ or AOA, is a national honor society for medical students, residents, scientists and physicians in the United States and Canada.-History:...
honorary medical society. He graduated as one of three valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
s of Fairborn High School in 1985. He is an Eagle Scout
Eagle Scout (Boy Scouts of America)
Eagle Scout is the highest rank attainable in the Boy Scouting program of the Boy Scouts of America . A Scout who attains this rank is called an Eagle Scout or Eagle. Since its introduction in 1911, the Eagle Scout rank has been earned by more than 2 million young men...
.