The Joe Biden government has inducted one more Indian origin in its team. Dr Ashish K Jha, the Indian-American physician has been appointed by US President as the White House's new Covid-19 response coordinator. The 51-year-old Bihar-born Jha replaces Jeff Zients for the top job.
After his name was announced, Dr Jha said that he was 'honoured' to be given the opportunity and described the United States as a nation 'willing to embrace him as one of her own'. Dr Ashish K Jha, the Dean of Public Health at Brown University, replaces outgoing Covid czar Jeffrey Zients. He will take up the position on April 5.
Taking to Twitter Dr Jha wrote, "So, as they say…Some news. For all the progress we've made in this pandemic (and there is a lot). We still have important work to do to protect American'’ lives and well-being. So, when @POTUS asked me to serve, I was honoured to have the opportunity."
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About Dr Ashish K Jha
The 51-year-old Dr Ashish K Jha was born in Madhubani, Bihar. He migrated to the US when he was a kid.
Dr Jha is the dean of Brown's School of Public Health and a globally recognised expert on pandemic preparedness and response.
According to Brown's School of Public Health, Dr Jha is a practising physician with deep expertise in infectious diseases.
He was appointed to lead the School of Public Health in February 2020 and he began as Dean in September 2020.
Earlier he led the Harvard Global Health Institute and taught at the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health and Harvard Medical School.
Dr Ashish K Jha was born in Pursaulia, Bihar in 1970 and moved to Canada in 1979 and then to the United States in 1983.
He earned a bachelor's degree in Economics from Columbia University in 1992 and an MD from Harvard Medical School in 1997.
Dr Ashish K Jha trained in internal medicine at the University of California in San Francisco.
He completed his general medicine fellowship at Brigham and Women's Hospital at Harvard Medical School.
Dr Jha received his master of public health in 2004 from the Harvard TH Chan School of Public Health.
