Nirav Shah | Illinois

Before establishing himself as an Illinois-based public health administrator, Dr. Nirav Shah studied economics at Oxford University’s St. Anne’s College, where he focused on mathematical modeling and cost-effective analysis. Illinois physician Dr. Nirav Shah later became the chief economist at Cambodia’s National Institute of Public Health, where he strove to improve the efficiency of the public health system.

After his time in Cambodia, Dr. Shah returned to Chicago, where he resumed his pursuit of an MD and a JD at the University of Chicago. His studies culminated in his earning a JD in 2007 and an MD the following year.

Dr. Shah then joined the Global Life Sciences Group at the Chicago law firm Sidley Austin LLP, where he concentrated on pharmaceutical regulation and healthcare fraud, among other healthcare- and public health-related areas. In January 2015, Dr. Shah accepted a position as director of the Illinois Department of Public Health, where he guided the agency in the achievement of a number of notable public health successes.