Abdul El-Sayed — SPARQNOW

At-a-Glance

Serves as Director and Health Officer at Wayne County’s Department of Health, Human & Veterans Services, overseeing health initiatives for 1.8 million residents.
Appointed Health Director for the City of Detroit from 2015 to 2017, where he rebuilt the Health Department.
Candidate for governor of Michigan in the 2018 election and is running for the 2026 U.S. Senate election in Michigan.
Author of 'Healing Politics' and co-author of 'Medicare for All: A Citizen’s Guide.'
Hosts 'America Dissected with Dr. Abdul El-Sayed,' a podcast about politics and public health, since 2019.
Rhodes Scholar with a Doctorate in Public Health from Oxford University and a Medical Degree from Columbia University.
Served as Assistant Professor of Epidemiology at Columbia University (2014-2015) and holds academic appointments at Harvard, University of Michigan, and American University.

Biography

Abdul El-Sayed is a physician, epidemiologist, and public servant. He currently serves as Director and Health Officer at Wayne County’s Department of Health, Human & Veterans Services, overseeing health initiatives for 1.8 million residents of Michigan’s largest county. In this role, he has led efforts such as building a comprehensive air monitoring network, deploying 100 Narcan vending machines countywide to address the opioid crisis, and forgiving up to $700 million in medical debt.