March 31, 2026
HJF’s Chief Medical Officer (CMO), Dr. Merlin Robb, retired after two decades of dedicated service to HJF. Dr. Sandhya “Sandy” Vasan has been elevated to the newly created role of Chief Medical & Science Officer (CMSO), while continuing to serve as Vice President of Global Infectious Diseases Research.
“Dr. Robb’s impact has been profound—not only through his many contributions to our organization but also as a member of the U.S. government’s Operation Warp Speed team, which played a critical role in accelerating the delivery of COVID-19 vaccines during the global pandemic,” Dr. Caravalho said. “I am thrilled that Dr. Vasan will assume the new role of Chief Science and Medical Officer, as she is an expert in basic science and clinical infectious diseases research and is well-suited to take on the challenge.”
Before his promotion to Senior Vice President and CMO on the executive team, Dr. Robb served HJF as Chief of Vaccine Research at the Military HIV Research Program (MHRP) and also Director of the HJF component of MHRP. He was instrumental in the development of MHRP’s vaccine development efforts in Africa and Asia. He also played a key role in RV 144, the Thai Phase III trial and studies of acute HIV infection and cure.
Dr. Vasan has served HJF as our Vice President of Global Infectious Diseases Research and worked alongside Dr. Robb during her nearly 15 years at HJF. Dr. Vasan has been serving as the Principal Investigator representing HJF in support of the Military HIV Research Program (MHRP) and Viral Diseases Program at the Walter Reed Army Institute of Research (WRAIR). Before this, she served as Science Director and Head of the Nonhuman Primate Laboratory at the Department of Retrovirology at the Armed Forces Research Institute of Medical Sciences (AFRIMS) in Bangkok, Thailand.