Andrea M. Garcia, JD, MPH, is the Vice President of Science, Medicine, and Public Health at the American Medical Association (AMA). In this role she provides vision and leadership in science and public health for the organization, advancing AMA as a credible source of evidence-based information. She develops and leads the implementation of policies and programs involving a wide range of scientific topics relevant to the AMA’s mission, including high profile public health issues (infectious diseases and immunizations, violence prevention, and environmental health), pharmaceuticals (including the intersection of opioids, pain, and addiction), and emerging areas of science, including precision medicine.
Ms. Garcia serves as the Secretary for the AMA’s Council on Science and Public Health and represents the AMA on several external stakeholder groups, including as a Dissemination and Implementation Partner for the United States Preventive Services Task Force and a member of the Steering Committee for the National Academy of Medicine Action Collaborative on Decarbonizing the U.S. Health Sector. She is the principal investigator for the AMA’s activities under Centers for Disease Control and Prevention co-operative agreements focused on strengthening public health systems and preventing and controlling emerging and re-emerging infectious disease threats. Ms. Garcia previously worked at the Association of State and Territorial Health Officials, where her work with state health agencies was focused on public health law and state health policy. Ms. Garcia received her law degree and certificate in health law from the DePaul University College of Law, her Master of Public Health degree from the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, and her undergraduate degree in public health from the University of Rochester.