Mayur M. Desai

Mayur M. Desai, PhD, MPH, is a Professor of Epidemiology (Chronic Diseases) and the Associate Dean for Community & Practice at the Yale School of Public Health. He also serves as Director of the Advanced Professional MPH Program, Track Director for Applied Analytic Methods and Epidemiology in the Executive MPH program, and is affiliated faculty with the Yale Institute for Global Health and core faculty in Yale's National Clinician Scholars Program.

Dr. Desai received both his MPH in health policy and PhD in epidemiology from Yale University. He served as an Epidemic Intelligence Service (EIS) Officer at CDC's National Center for Health Statistics before returning to Yale as faculty. His educational background includes a BS from University of California San Diego.

His research focuses on health equity through epidemiologic methods applied to clinical and health services research. Key areas include mental health and primary care integration, development of Medicare quality measures, surgical outcomes research, health of marginalized populations (immigrants, refugees, incarcerated individuals), global health initiatives in low- and middle-income countries, and DEIB issues in the biomedical workforce. His work spans aging, cardiovascular diseases, chronic conditions, and vulnerable populations.

His recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on health disparities, medical education diversity, and global health implementation. He has examined racial and ethnic disparities in medical education pathways, surgical outcomes, and cleft lip repair. His global health work includes studies in Mozambique, Eastern Caribbean, and eSwatini focusing on maternal health, chronic disease, and service utilization during the pandemic.

• Drs. Anvar and Pari Velji Global Health Award for Teaching Excellence (2022)
• Yale School of Public Health Distinguished Teaching Award (2019, 2015, 2013, 2009)
• Guest Professorship at Central South University, Changsha, China (2018)
• Fellow of American College of Epidemiology (2012)
• Teacher of the Year Award from Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia (2012)

Dr. Desai directs the accelerated Advanced Professional MPH Program and has developed and taught innovative global health courses in over a dozen countries. He serves on multiple committees including the Diversity and Inclusion Advisory Committee, Provost Advisory Committee on Accessibility Resources, South Asian Studies Council, and Residency Advisory Committee for the Griffin Hospital Combined Internal Medicine/Preventive Medicine Residency Program. His global capacity-strengthening work has spanned child health, prisoner health, diagnosis and treatment of infectious and non-communicable diseases, and health systems strengthening.