Dr. Shama Ahuja

Biography

Shama D Ahuja is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. With extensive experience in public health, she currently serves as the Assistant Commissioner at the Bureau of Communicable Diseases for the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene, a position she has held since September 2022. In this role, Dr. Ahuja is responsible for overseeing the surveillance, investigation, and response to over 70 infectious disease threats. Her team's key activities involve data analysis for outbreak detection, investigations, provider engagement, and community outreach. Prior to her current position, she directed the Office of Surveillance Epidemiology within the Bureau of Tuberculosis Control, where she managed multiple essential public health functions including the tuberculosis registry and laboratory activities during significant health emergencies like the Ebola and COVID-19 outbreaks. Dr. Ahuja's academic background includes a BS from Emory University, an MPH from Emory University’s Rollins School of Public Health, and a PhD from Johns Hopkins University’s Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her research interests focus on the transmission dynamics of infectious diseases, especially among high-risk populations, and she is actively engaged in translating research into public health policy.

Research Interests

Experience