Jay Vyas: New Associate Dean for Academic Innovation

Jay Vias. Photo courtesy of Rudy Diaz.

Jay Vyas, MD, PhD, was appointed associate dean for academic innovation and director of physician-scientist programs at the Roy and Diana Vagelos Institute for Basic Biomedical Science in October of 2024. Dr. Vyas holds a faculty appointment in the Division of Infectious Diseases in the Department of Medicine.

In his associate dean role, Dr. Vyas works along- side VP&S leadership to advance innovative academic programs and transdisciplinary educational and research initiatives. He also supports new models of integrating discovery science and clinical care. As inaugural director of physician-scientist programs within the Vagelos Institute, Dr. Vyas oversees the physician-scientist portfolio, including the MD-PhD program, formal research activities in the MD curriculum, and other physician-scientist awards and programs administered by the dean’s office.

Dr. Vyas has deep expertise in developing and advancing innovative training models in physician-scientist education. He joins Columbia from Harvard Medical School, where he served as a professor of medicine and the residency program director for the largest graduate medical education program in Massachusetts. Dr. Vyas also co-created the Stanbury Physician Scientist Program and co-developed the Pathways program to encourage intellectual curiosity during residency. He is the principal investigator of three NIH grants to support research during residency.

Dr. Vyas earned his PhD and MD from the Baylor College of Medicine. He completed his internship and medical residency at the Massachusetts General Hospital and his fellowship in infectious disease at the joint Massachusetts General Hospital/Brigham and Women’s Hospital program.