Vinay Prasad education and career: How a summa cum laude MSU graduate rose to lead roles in oncology and at the FDA
Vinayak “Vinay” Kashyap Prasad, a US physician and health policy researcher, has had a career that spans medicine, academia, and regulatory roles. Known for his work in cancer policy and clinical trial design, Prasad held a prominent leadership position at the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before stepping down in July 2025.Prasad served as the Director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research (CBER) and held the role of Chief Medical and Science Officer during his short tenure at the agency. His appointment and departure from the FDA came amid scrutiny around regulatory decisions involving gene therapy.Academic foundations at Michigan State and beyondRaised in a suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, Prasad later moved to northern Indiana. His academic journey began at Michigan State University (MSU), where he graduated summa cum laude with a double major in philosophy and physiology in 2005. While at MSU, he studied healthcare ethics and gave the commencement address on behalf of the Philosophy Department.Prasad went on to earn his medical degree from the University of Chicago in 2009. He completed a residency in internal medicine at Northwestern University in 2012, receiving the Gerald Grumet Award for best resident teacher. He was board-certified in internal medicine the same year. In 2014, he received a Master of Public Health from Johns Hopkins University. He completed a fellowship in oncology at the National Cancer Institute and in haematology at the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute in 2015. During his time at the US National Institutes of Health, he was named Chief Fellow and completed a cancer prevention fellowship.Career in academia and cancer policy researchFrom 2015 to 2020, Prasad served as assistant and then associate professor at Oregon Health & Science University. He later joined the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF), as a professor in the Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics. There, he led the VKPrasad Lab, focusing on cancer drugs, clinical trials, and health policy. He also worked clinically at San Francisco General Hospital.Prasad is the author of over 500 academic articles and two books: Ending Medical Reversal (2015) and Malignant (2020). His research focuses on drug development, healthcare policy, and the quality of medical evidence. He is also known for examining financial conflicts in drug approvals.FDA appointment and departure in 2025Prasad was appointed Director of the FDA’s CBER on May 6, 2025. The role placed him at the centre of US regulatory oversight for biologics, including vaccines and gene therapies. He was later named the FDA’s Chief Medical and Science Officer.According to a spokesperson from the US Department of Health and Human Services, Prasad resigned on July 29, 2025, to return to California and spend more time with his family. The resignation followed internal debate around the FDA’s response to safety concerns involving the gene therapy drug Elevidys, manufactured by Sarepta Therapeutics.Teaching and public engagementPrasad has received multiple teaching awards, including the 2017 Craig Okada Award for best teacher in the Haematology-Oncology Fellowship programme and the 2019 J. David Bristow Award, voted by graduating medical students. He is also active in public education through his podcast Plenary Session, his YouTube channel, Substack publications, and The Drug Development Letter.He is based in California and continues his academic and clinical work at UCSF.TOI Education is on WhatsApp now. Follow us here.
