About
Govind Persad is an Associate Professor of Law with Tenure at the Sturm College of Law, University of Denver. He holds affiliations with the Rocky Mountain Collective on Race, Place & Law and the Animal Law program. His work bridges bioethics, distributive justice, and health law, addressing issues such as pandemic response frameworks, vaccine allocation, and health equity. Persad’s interdisciplinary research has been published in top-tier law reviews and medical journals like the New England Journal of Medicine and Lancet.
Education: Persad holds a PhD (2015), JD (2013, with pro bono distinction), BS (2007), and BA (2006), all from Stanford University. Prior to Denver, he was at Johns Hopkins University and Georgetown University.
Research focuses on equitable frameworks for scarce resource allocation, pandemic preparedness, and integrating health justice into public policy. His current projects include defining health affordability and advancing international pandemic response strategies, supported by a Greenwall Foundation Faculty Scholars Award. He contributes to the Colorado National Wastewater Surveillance System and advises the Scrivner Institute of Public Policy.
Key publications emphasize ethical approaches to vaccine prioritization, pandemic treaty design, and anti-racist healthcare frameworks. Persad is a frequent media commentator, with op-eds in the Washington Post and appearances on NPR.
Scientific awards include the Greenwall Foundation Faculty Scholars Award (2020–present) and DU’s Public Impact Fellowship (2020–21). His work often intersects legal, ethical, and public health domains, advocating for systemic equity in healthcare resource distribution.
