COMMENTARY & WRITING
Ideas on health, leadership, innovation, and the systems that shape our lives.
New York Times
With a Second Term, Biden Could Reverse This National Health Emergency
A commentary arguing that declining life expectancy represents one of the most urgent public health challenges facing the United States and calling for a coordinated national strategy to improve health outcomes, prevent premature death, and extend healthy life expectancy.
Author: Ashwin Vasan
March 25, 2024
JAMA Health Forum
December 2023
A Public Health Approach to New York City's Mental Health Crisis
An examination of how cities can address mental health challenges through prevention, community-based care, systems transformation, and public health leadership.
Authors: Ashwin Vasan, Michael T. McRae, Nathaniel Z. Counts
Featured Commentary
The Journal of the American Medical Association
Ensuring Widespread and Equitable Access to Treatments for COVID-19
A perspective on equitable access to COVID-19 therapeutics and the public health systems required to ensure treatment reaches the communities most affected.
Authors: Ashwin Vasan, Mark Foote, Tom Long
July 2022
Featured Events
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Physician and public health leader Dr. Ashwin Vasan joins Chelsea to explore how AI is reshaping healthcare – from patient-facing chatbots and diagnostic tools to insurance approvals and clinical decision-making. Listen HERE
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April 2026—Exploring how artificial intelligence can improve care delivery while preserving the human connection at the heart of medicine. Listen HERE
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April 2026—A conversation on healthier communities, stronger public institutions, and the policies that shape population health. Listen HERE
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December 2024—Reflections on public service, mental health, leadership, and building systems that improve lives. Listen HERE
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December 2024—A discussion on leadership, public trust, health equity, and navigating complex challenges in an increasingly polarized world. Listen HERE.
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🔈February 2024—A wide-ranging discussion on respiratory viruses, youth mental health, public trust, and lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic. Listen HERE.
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August 8, 2025—Dr. Ashwin Vasan, former NYC Health Commissioner, joins The Perez Notes to reflect on his proudest moments leading the city’s public health response, the meaning of Zohran Mamdani’s primary win for South Asians, and how his work as a physician, epidemiologist, and advocate continues to shape public health in NYC and beyond. Listen HERE
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How do you create a healthier city? As the climate shifts, screens dominate our lives and cities continue to grow - urban areas are grappling with how to put themselves on a better track to health. New York City Health Commissioner Dr. Ashwin Vasan joins The Other 80 to talk about his ambitious plan to increase health in the Big Apple, with the goal of increasing life expectancy from 78 to 83 years. Listen HERE.
Featured Podcasts
STAT NEWS
November 2022
Employing Everyday Public Health Efforts to Respond to Polio’s Re-emergence
A reflection on public health infrastructure, community trust, disease prevention, and the importance of local public health systems in responding to emerging threats.
Author: Ashwin Vasan
The New England Journal of Medicine
January 2023
Facing the New Covid-19 Reality
A discussion on public perceptions and lived realities of Covid-19 compared to the epistemological evidence painting an alternative picture of the pandemic.
Author: Ashwin Vasan, Wafaa M. El-Sadr, and Ayman El-Mohandes