Syra Madad, DHSc, MSc, MCP, CHEP
Chief Biopreparedness Officer
Dr. Syra Madad is an internationally renowned epidemiologist in special pathogens preparedness and response, biosecurity advisor and science communicator. As the Chief Biopreparedness Officer of NYC Health + Hospitals, she has a distinguished career working at the nexus of public health and healthcare delivery. Her extensive experience includes leading and responding to multiple outbreaks ranging from Ebola, Zika to COVID-19 and supporting prevention and preparation for numerous other infectious disease threats. Beyond her primary roles, Dr. Madad contributes her expertise at Harvard University’s Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs as a fellow at The Defense, Emerging Technology, and Strategy (DETS) program where she’s the creator and moderator of the Center’s Women in STEM and Diversity in STEM series. Furthermore, she’s also Core Faculty at the National Emerging Special Pathogens Training and Education Center (NETEC), and affiliate faculty at the Center for Emerging Infectious Disease Policy & Research at Boston University. Her advisory roles span significant national and international bodies, including the U.S. National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity (NSABB), the Forum on Microbial Threats at The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine’s Health and Medicine Division, and the World Health Organization’s advisory group on responsible life sciences and dual-use research. In addition to her work in biosecurity and biopreparedness, Dr. Madad is a prominent figure in the media industry and is featured in 4 documentaries including the Emmy-nominated the Netflix documentary series “Pandemic: How to Prevent an Outbreak” and the Discovery Channel documentary The Vaccine: Conquering COVID. She’s also an executive producer on 2 short films, one of which highlights gun violence as a public health threat.