Jason M. Lazar, MD, MPH Executive Vice Dean College of Medicine SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University Dr. Jason Lazar is an academic cardiologist who has excelled as an extraordinary leader in the clinical, research, and teaching areas. He was initially recruited to SUNY Downstate in 2003 as the Director of Non-Invasive Cardiology and has since held multiple other leadership positions. As Vice Dean of Education and founding Chair of the Department of Medical Education, he has been responsible for administrative oversight of the educational program leading to the MD degree. He led the expansion of the Center for Healthcare Simulation, and the development of a broader array of programs to support faculty in their role as educators. He oversees Career Advising and Mentoring for medical students across all four years. In addition, he serves as a Clinical Advisory Dean where he assists medical students with career selection and residency planning. Dr. Lazar continuously strives to promote a positive learning environment and in 2020, he launched the Learning Environment Committee. He was recently promoted to the position of Executive Vice Dean, in which he helps to coordinate educational and clinical activities at Downstate and its affiliates. Dr. Lazar has received multiple accolades for academia and teaching including the SUNY Chancellor's Award for Excellence in Scholarship and Creative Activities, and the SUNY Downstate Graduate Medical Education and Research Award. In 2018, the SUNY Board of Trustees named Dr. Lazar as a SUNY Distinguished Teaching Professor, the highest rank bestowed upon professors, and an honor that recognizes and elevates the mastery of teaching. His longstanding commitment to education and mentorship, to their ongoing intellectual growth, scholarship, and professional growth were catalysts for this recognition. He often mentors medical students, residents and fellows in research and is widely published. Over the past decade, Dr. Lazar has been awarded four New York State Department of Health Empire Clinical Research Investigator Program (ECRIP) Training Grants. His publications include more than 200 peer reviewed manuscripts and he has embarked upon several international collaborations, including medical missions to various countries. He has served as a mentor and faculty member for Downstate's Program to Increase Diversity Among Individuals Engaged in Cardiovascular Health-Related Research, as part of a team of multidisciplinary experts that have partnered to provide the didactic training to junior faculty interested in conducting research in health disparities. He holds academic appointments in the Schools of Public Health and Graduate Studies. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians, the American College of Cardiology, the American Heart Association and the American College of Chest Physicians. Throughout the years, Dr. Lazar has demonstrated unwavering support and dedication in providing mentorship to high school and college students’ exposure to clinical care and research opportunities in the Arthur Ashe Institute for Urban Health. He takes great pride and is honored to assist in providing a strong foundation for our future scientists and clinicians.