Jirair Ratevosian, MPH

Gilead Life Sciences,

Director of Government Affairs 

Jirair Ratevosian is the first born son of a large Armenian immigrant family. His drive for public health stems from personal and professional involvement in health-related work beginning in college. His early work on HIV/AIDS drew him to Boston where he completed a master’s degree in public health. In graduate school, Jirair remained active in local and international advocacy issues while working for Physicians for Human Rights and volunteering at a homeless shelter. In Washington D.C, Jirair worked for amfAR, the Foundation for AIDS Research, on policy initiatives focused on LGBTQ and vulnerable populations. He worked to modernize U.S. harm reduction policy by lifting restrictions for syringe access programs and the travel entry ban for individuals living with HIV.

In 2011, Jirair joined the office of U.S. Congresswoman Barbara Lee (D-CA). As a Legislative Director, Jirair worked closely with Members of Congress and federal agencies to help shape implementation of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and was lead staff author of the Health Equity and Accountability Act, legislation to address health disparities in communities of color. In Congress, Jirair worked to foster bipartisan partnerships with lawmakers and community advocates to start the Congressional HIV/AIDS Caucus and secure funding for diseases that impact minority communities, including hepatitis, cancer, sickle-cell and HIV/AIDS.

Currently at Gilead Sciences, Jirair works with governments to expand access to lifesaving medicines. He works on a range of international and domestic policy issues, including Ryan White, and leads business to government engagement in Africa, Middle East and Cuba.

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