Ryan Sutherland is a public health practitioner and global health leader whose work advances equity, social justice, and community-driven innovation. He holds degrees from Emory University, Yale University, and the University of Cambridge, and is currently completing a Doctorate in Medicine at the Yale School of Medicine and a Master in Nonprofit Leadership at the University of Pennsylvania.

Ryan’s interdisciplinary approach bridges clinical medicine, global health, and social impact strategy. His research and service focus on homelessness, substance use, LGBTQ+ health, and structural determinants of health. As a Rotary Global Grant Scholar, he conducted community-based research on youth tobacco use in Indonesia and on physician stigma impacting transgender and HIV-positive patients in Malaysia.

He has worked with the United Nations Development Programme, USAID, Partners in Health, and the CDC, gaining key insights into health systems and policy. He currently serves as Executive Director of the Poverty Alleviation through Unity, Sustainability, and Empowerment (PAUSE) Project and as Community Outreach Director for the Neighborhood Health Project, two New Haven-based clinics supporting unhoused, under/uninsured, and undocumented individuals. He also organized New Haven Pride’s first Health and Wellness Village, delivering free, affirming care to hundreds.

Ryan has advocated for the decriminalization of sex work, distributed harm reduction kits, and led outreach initiatives expanding access to care for underserved communities. His leadership has been widely recognized with the U.S. Public Health Service Excellence in Public Health Award, the Yale Seton Elm-Ivy Award, and the Yale Alumni Public Service Award.
His work reflects a deep belief that public health must be rooted in human rights, dignity, and the lived experiences of marginalized communities, closely aligning with the mission of the Boston Congress of Public Health.