Vivek Murthy

Vivek Murthy is an American physician and public health administrator who has served as the Surgeon General of the United States under Presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden. A vice admiral in the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps, he is the first person of Indian American descent to hold the office. Murthy's tenure has been defined by his advocacy on issues including the COVID-19 pandemic, the opioid epidemic, and the public health crisis of loneliness.

Early life and education

Vivek Murthy was born in Huddersfield, England, to immigrants from Karnataka, India, and moved to Miami, Florida, as a young child. His parents ran a medical practice, which deeply influenced his career path. He attended Miami Palmetto Senior High School before graduating magna cum laude from Harvard University with a degree in biochemical sciences. Murthy then earned both a MD and a MBA from Yale University, where he was co-president of the Yale School of Medicine student body and founded several organizations focused on HIV/AIDS education.

Medical career

After completing his medical residency at Brigham and Women's Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Murthy joined the faculty at Harvard Medical School as an instructor in medicine. He co-founded the nonprofit VISIONS Worldwide to combat HIV/AIDS in India and later co-founded TrialNetworks, a clinical trials technology company. His clinical work and research have focused on vaccine education, global health equity, and the integration of management principles into healthcare delivery, holding attending staff privileges at Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Boston VA Healthcare System.

Surgeon General of the United States

Nominated by President Barack Obama, Murthy was confirmed as the 19th Surgeon General of the United States in 2014 after a protracted confirmation process in the United States Senate. His first term involved launching initiatives to address the opioid epidemic, promote walking and physical activity, and confront the e-cigarette use epidemic among youth. He was dismissed from the role by the Trump administration in 2017 but was renominated by President Joe Biden and confirmed again in 2021, becoming the 21st Surgeon General. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he played a key role in shaping the Biden administration's public health communications and combating vaccine hesitancy.

Public health advocacy

Murthy has issued landmark public health advisories and reports on critical modern challenges, including a 2021 advisory on confronting health misinformation and a 2023 report declaring loneliness and isolation a national epidemic. He has been a prominent voice on mental health, authoring the book Together: The Healing Power of Human Connection in a Sometimes Lonely World. His advocacy also extends to climate change as a health issue, firearm violence prevention, and the well-being of health care workers, frequently collaborating with organizations like the American Public Health Association and the World Health Organization.

Personal life

Vivek Murthy is married to physician Alice Chen, whom he met at Yale School of Medicine; they have two children. He is a practitioner of Bharatanatyam, a classical Indian dance form he learned in his youth. Murthy's sister, Rashmi Murthy, is also a physician, and the family maintains strong ties to the medical and Indian American communities. His personal experiences with patient care and his family's history in medicine are frequently cited as driving forces behind his public health mission. Category:1977 births Category:Living people Category:United States surgeons general Category:American people of Indian descent Category:Harvard University alumni Category:Yale University alumni