Vanila Singh

Vanila M. Singh was born in Bikaner, India. At age one her parents Lalit and Leela Mathur immigrated to the United States.{{Citation|last=Singh|first=Vanila|title=Dr. Vanila Singh: School choice is the key to student success|date=May 5, 2014|url=http://www.mercurynews.com/2014/05/05/dr-vanila-singh-school-choice-is-the-key-to-student-success/|newspaper=Mercury News|access-date=March 26, 2017}} The family moved to California when she was four years old, and she spent her youth in Fremont, California, attending Niles Elementary School, Centerville Junior High School, and Washington High School. During her childhood her parents helped establish the Hindu Temple in Fremont, also founding the Rajasthani Association of North America.

Singh was accepted to the University of California, Berkeley where she double-majored in economics and molecular and cell biology. Graduating with a B.S., she then moved to Washington, D.C. to become a medical student at the George Washington University Medical Center, where she received her M.D.

Singh completed her initial medical internship at Yale University Medical Center in 1997 and 1998. An anesthesia resident at Cornell Medical Center in Manhattan from 1998 until 2001, from 2001 until 2002 she was a pain management fellow in various locations, including Cornell University, Columbia Medical Center, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, and the Hospital for Special Surgery. She is double-certified in anesthesia and pain management from the American Board of Anesthesiology. After serving as a clinical assistant professor at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) Medical Center, she became a clinical associate professor at Stanford University Medical School{{Citation

| last =Dutt

| first = Ela

| title =Another Physician Enters Race for Congress in California

| newspaper = New India Times

| date =2014

| url =http://www.newsindiatimes.com/another-physician-enters-race-for-congress-in-california

| access-date = March 26, 2017}} for anesthesiology, perioperative and pain medicine.

Specializing in ultrasound-guided interventional procedures for pain and regional anesthesiology, Singh earned a Masters of Academic Medicine from University of Southern California. Dr. Singh is named as a teaching mentor for the pain fellowship at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center.{{Cite web|last=Reporter|first=SUNITA SOHRABJI/India-West Staff|title=Former HHS Official Vanila Singh Receives Prestigious Award for Work in Pain Management Amid Opioid Crisis|url=https://www.indiawest.com/news/global_indian/former-hhs-official-vanila-singh-receives-prestigious-award-for-work-in-pain-management-amid-opioid/article_c9b53fc4-59c3-11ea-ad25-7b453adcc9ca.html|access-date=2020-10-01|website=India West|language=en}}

Dr. Singh was named Chief Medical Officer for the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) on June 12, 2017,{{cite web |url=https://www.hhs.gov/ash/about-ash/leadership/vanila-m-singh/index.html |title=Vanila M. Singh M.D., MACM |date=7 July 2017 |website=HHS.gov |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190330165724/https://www.hhs.gov/ash/about-ash/leadership/vanila-m-singh/index.html |archive-date=30 March 2019}} as the primary medical advisor to the Assistant Secretary for Health on the development and implementation of HHS-wide public health policy recommendations, and guiding the national policy on opioids. Dr. Singh chaired the congressionally mandated Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force and launched the National Pain Strategy, the government's first broad-ranging effort to improve how pain is perceived, assessed and treated, and what the effects of the opioid epidemic was on various communities.{{Cite web |url=https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2018/05/01/members-appointed-new-pain-management-best-practices-inter-agency-task-force.html |title=Members Appointed to New Pain Management Best Practices Inter-Agency Task Force |date=May 1, 2018 |website=HHS.gov |publisher=U.S. Department of Health & Human Services |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180505070146/https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2018/05/01/members-appointed-new-pain-management-best-practices-inter-agency-task-force.html |archive-date=5 May 2018 |access-date=4 May 2018 }}{{Cite web|title=Federal Task Force Releases 'Roadmap' to Treat Pain Crisis|url=https://www.painnewsnetwork.org/stories/2019/6/1/federal-task-force-releases-roadmap-to-treat-pain-crisis|access-date=2020-11-18|website=Pain News Network|date=June 2019 |language=en-US}}{{Primary source inline|date=October 2019}} The task force published its report on May 30, 2019, which was endorsed by organizations including the American Medical Association.{{cite web |title=AMA calls pain task force recommendations a road map for future policy |url=https://www.ama-assn.org/press-center/press-releases/ama-calls-pain-task-force-recommendations-road-map-future-policy |website=American Medical Association |access-date=December 29, 2020 |location=Chicago |date=May 9, 2019}}

She was also appointed as the Acting Regional Health Administrator for Region 9 (California, Arizona, Nevada, Hawaii and six Pacific Islands) in August 2018.

Dr. Singh is an independent member of the board of Lucid Lane, a telehealth service for preventing anxiety, pain, and dependence on substances and medication.{{Cite web|title=Lucid Lane has developed a service to get patients off of pain meds and avoid dependence |url=https://techcrunch.com/2020/05/08/lucid-lane-has-developed-a-service-to-get-patients-off-of-pain-meds-and-avoid-addiction/ |access-date=2020-10-14 |website=TechCrunch |date=8 May 2020 |language=en-US}} She was appointed as an independent board of directors member for BioDelivery Sciences, International (NASDAQ: BDSI), a specialty pharmaceutical company focused on the treatment of serious and debilitating chronic conditions.{{Cite web|last=Reporter|first=SUNITA SOHRABJI/India-West Staff|title=Former HHS Official Vanila Singh Receives Prestigious Award for Work in Pain Management Amid Opioid Crisis|url=https://www.indiawest.com/news/global_indian/former-hhs-official-vanila-singh-receives-prestigious-award-for-work-in-pain-management-amid-opioid/article_c9b53fc4-59c3-11ea-ad25-7b453adcc9ca.html|access-date=2020-10-14|website=India West|language=en}}{{Cite web |title=BioDelivery Sciences Appoints Dr. Vanila Singh, Former Chief Medical Officer of Health and Human Services, to its Board of Directors {{!}} BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc. |url=https://ir.bdsi.com/news-releases/news-release-details/biodelivery-sciences-appoints-dr-vanila-singh-former-chief |access-date=2020-10-14 |website=ir.bdsi.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |url=https://www.barrons.com/quote/stock/us/xnas/bdsi/company-people |title=BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc (BDSI) |access-date=2020-10-14 |website=www.barrons.com}} Dr. Singh is also an independent board member for Virpax Pharmaceuticals Inc., a company developing novel drug delivery systems for pain management.{{Cite web |title=Vanila M. Singh, MD, MACM Elected to Virpax(R) Pharmaceuticals' Board of Directors |url=https://www.biospace.com/article/virpax-company-update/ |access-date=2020-10-21 |website=BioSpace |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |title=Vanila M. Singh, MD, MACM Elected to Virpax(R) Pharmaceuticals' Board of Directors {{!}}|date=9 July 2020 |url=https://zephyrnet.com/vanila-m-singh-md-macm-elected-to-virpaxr-pharmaceuticals-board-of-directors/ |access-date=2020-10-21 |language=en-US}}

Dr. Singh is a frequent contributor on local and national TV covering the COVID-19 pandemic. She has appeared on Fox Business' Neil Cavuto: Coast to Coast,{{Cite web |title=Former HHS chief medical officer hopeful COVID vaccine process will improve |url=http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/6237499233001/ |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=Fox Business |date=5 March 2021 |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Should students return to schools as child hospitalizations rise? |url=http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/6268198208001/ |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=Fox Business |date=24 August 2021 |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=CDC 'losing' public's confidence over mixed messaging: Doctor |url=http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/6254221556001/ |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=Fox Business |date=14 May 2021 |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=More lockdowns would be 'very tough' for mental health: Dr. Singh |url=http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/6250066425001/ |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=Fox Business |date=30 April 2021 |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Pending approval of Moderna coronavirus vaccine is 'only good news': Doctor |url=http://video.foxbusiness.com/v/6216921166001/ |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=Fox Business |date=17 December 2020 |language=en}} Newsy Tonight with Chance Seales,{{Cite web |title=Dr. Singh Discusses of Dangers of Fentanyl this Spring Break with Newsy's Chance Seales |url=http://www.drvanilasingh.com/4/post/2022/03/dr-singh-discusses-of-dangers-of-fentanyl-this-spring-break-with-newsys-chance-seales.html |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=DR. VANILA SINGH, MD |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Quality of Life Should Always Be the Metric... |url=http://www.drvanilasingh.com/4/post/2022/02/quality-of-life-should-always-be-the-metric.html |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=DR. VANILA SINGH, MD |language=en}}{{Cite web |title=Pfizer's Antiviral Treatment, Vaccines and More |url=http://www.drvanilasingh.com/4/post/2021/12/pfizers-antiviral-treatment-vaccines-and-more.html |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=DR. VANILA SINGH, MD |language=en}} and FOX KTVU.{{Cite web |title=Videos |url=https://www.ktvu.com/video/963975 |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=KTVU FOX 2 |date=6 August 2021 |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2022-01-21 |title=What does it mean for COVID-19 to be endemic? |url=https://www.ktvu.com/news/what-does-it-mean-for-covid-19-to-be-endemic |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=Associated Press |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=2022-02-24 |title=As 'stealth omicron' advances, scientists are learning more |url=https://www.ktvu.com/news/as-stealth-omicron-advances-scientists-are-learning-more |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=Associated Press |language=en-US}} She has penned several op-eds on COVID-19, pain management policies, mental health, and illicit drugs which have been published in The Hill,{{Cite web |last=Vanila Singh and Nicholas Kardaras |first=opinion contributors |date=2022-03-17 |title=The war at home: The attack on our mental health |url=https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/598473-the-war-at-home-the-attack-on-our-mental-health/ |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Eric D. Hargan and Vanila M. Singh |first=opinion contributors |date=2021-08-20 |title=For the sake of our mental health, the next lockdown has to be different |url=https://thehill.com/opinion/healthcare/568735-for-the-sake-of-our-mental-health-the-next-lockdown-has-to-be-different/ |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |last=Sen. Bill Cassidy |first=M. D. |date=2019-11-20 |title=Following massacre of Americans, we need a new strategy to defeat drug cartels |url=https://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/homeland-security/471331-following-massacre-of-americans-we-need-a-new-strategy/ |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=The Hill |language=en-US}} Washington Post,{{Cite news |title=Opinion {{!}} Here's how college students can return to campus in the fall |language=en-US |newspaper=Washington Post |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/05/08/heres-how-college-students-can-return-campus-fall/ |access-date=2022-04-25 |issn=0190-8286}} STAT,{{Cite web |date=2020-12-02 |title=Misguided federal regulations are likely to cause more pain in people already living with it |url=https://www.statnews.com/2020/12/02/misguided-medicare-rule-harm-people-chronic-pain/ |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=STAT |language=en-US}} and American Military News.{{Cite web |last=Singh |first=Dr Vanila |date=2020-05-11 |title=Prioritizing our veterans is central to restoring America |url=https://americanmilitarynews.com/2020/05/prioritizing-our-veterans-is-central-to-restoring-america/ |access-date=2022-04-25 |website=American Military News |language=en-US}} Dr. Singh has also been profiled in Silicon Valley Magazine{{Cite news |last=McCarthy |first=Matthew |date=March 3, 2022 |title=13 Silicon Valley Innovators Who Keep Surprising And Inspiring Us |work=Silicon Valley |url=https://mlsiliconvalley.com/silicon-valley-top-innovators-businesses |access-date=April 25, 2022}} and Practical Pain Management.{{Cite news |last=Pellek |first=Alexis |date=October 25, 2021 |title=Meet the Women Changing Pain Medicine |work=Practical Pain Management |url=https://www.practicalpainmanagement.com/resources/practice-management/meet-women-changing-pain-medicine |access-date=April 25, 2022}}

In January 2014 she challenged incumbent Mike Honda, a Democrat, to represent {{ushr|CA|17}} (Silicon Valley) in the 2014 midterm elections. She was the first Republican-endorsed candidate to enter the race leading up to the June 3, 2014 open primaries held to select the two main candidates for the official elections in November. Although new to politics, Singh had previously supported politicians such as Democratic Representative Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii. An early poll in March 2014 indicated Singh ahead of Democratic challenger Ro Khanna and behind Honda.{{Citation

| title =Ro Khanna trails behind Mike Honda, Vanila Singh: Poll

| newspaper = The Indian Eye

| date =March 7, 2014

| url =http://www.theindianeye.net/north-american-news/ro-khanna-trails-behind-mike-honda-vanila-singh-poll/

| access-date = March 26, 2017}} As campaign points she focused on topics such as healthcare reform. She criticized the Affordable Care Act as lacking of physician involvement in the drafting of the legislation, arguing it needed to be overhauled or shut down. She received the endorsement of the Santa Clara and Alameda Republican Party, as well as House Republicans including congressmen Pete Sessions and Eric Cantor, and she was named "one to watch" by the National Republican Congressional Campaign Committee.

Voters began casting ballots by mail on May 3 and on June 4 Honda and Ro Khanna were the top finishers in the election, followed by Singh with 16 percent of the vote.

{{Election box open primary begin no change

| title = California's 17th congressional district election, 2014

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| candidate = Mike Honda (incumbent)

| votes = 43,607

| percentage = 48.2

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = Democratic Party (United States)

| candidate = Ro Khanna

| votes = 25,384

| percentage = 28.0

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| candidate = Vanila Singh

| votes = 15,359

| percentage = 17.0

}}

{{Election box candidate with party link no change

| party = Republican Party (United States)

| candidate = Joel VanLandingham

| votes = 6,154

| percentage = 6.8

}}

{{Election box total no change

| votes = 90,504

| percentage = 100.0

}}

{{Election box end}}

In August 2014, Republican gubernatorial candidate Neel Kashkari named Singh the chair of his "Indo American Coalition team" while campaigning against incumbent Jerry Brown. In July 2016, the press reported that Singh was serving as a California delegate at the Republican National Convention. In September, the Economic Times also reported that she was "actively working with national lawmakers on health policy issues." Singh has since published several chapters and government papers on the opioid crisis.{{cite web|url=https://www.hhs.gov/blog/2017/11/01/advancing-the-practice-of-pain-management-under-the-hhs-opioid-strategy.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171111095105/https://www.hhs.gov/blog/2017/11/01/advancing-the-practice-of-pain-management-under-the-hhs-opioid-strategy.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 11, 2017|title=Advancing the Practice of Pain Management HHS Opioid Strategy|date=1 November 2017|website=HHS.gov}}

A resident of the Bay Area of California, Singh is married with two children.

On October 16, 2021, Dr. Singh was awarded the Standiford Helm Award honoring individuals advancing the specialty of Interventional Pain Management.{{Cite tweet |url=https://twitter.com/vanilasingh/status/1450527544671813634 |number=1450527544671813634 |access-date=2023-03-28 |user=VanilaSingh |title=So honored 4 prestigious Standiford Helm Award... |language=en}}{{Cite web|title=CalSIPP Annual Meeting Program|url=https://asipp.org/wp-content/uploads/2021_CalSIPP_Annual-brochure.pdf|website=CalSIPP}}{{Cite web|title=OCMA Blog {{!}} Award Created for OCMA Past President|url=http://www.ocma.org/news-events/ocma-blog/award-created-for-ocma-past-president.aspx|access-date=2021-11-22|website=www.ocma.org|language=en-US}} On February 28, 2020, she was awarded the Philipp M. Lippe award from the American Academy of Pain Medicine for outstanding contributions to the social and political aspects of pain medicine.{{cite news |last1=Sohranji |first1=Sunita |title=Former HHS Official Vanila Singh Receives Prestigious Award for Work in Pain Management Amid Opioid Crisis |url=https://www.indiawest.com/news/global_indian/former-hhs-official-vanila-singh-receives-prestigious-award-for-work/article_c9b53fc4-59c3-11ea-ad25-7b453adcc9ca.htmlhttps://www.indiawest.com/news/global_indian/former-hhs-official-vanila-singh-receives-prestigious-award-for-work/article_c9b53fc4-59c3-11ea-ad25-7b453adcc9ca.html |work=India West |language=en}}{{cite web |title=Philipp M. Lippe, MD Award |url=https://painmed.org/about/awards/philipp-m-lippe-md-awardhttps://painmed.org/about/awards/philipp-m-lippe-md-award |website=AAPM |language=en}} In 2018, Singh was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award by the American Society of Interventional Pain Physicians.{{Cite web|title=ASIPP Enews|url=https://myemail.constantcontact.com/ASIPP-Enews.html?soid=1101412233222&aid=BYSNVn6-zbE|access-date=2020-11-18|website=myemail.constantcontact.com}}{{Cite web |title=BioDelivery Sciences Appoints Dr. Vanila Singh, Former Chief Medical Officer of Health and Human Services, to its Board of Directors {{!}} BioDelivery Sciences International, Inc. |url=https://ir.bdsi.com/news-releases/news-release-details/biodelivery-sciences-appoints-dr-vanila-singh-former-chief |access-date=2020-11-18 |website=ir.bdsi.com |language=en}}{{Cite tweet |user=asipp |number=976842589503713281 |author=ASIPP |date=March 22, 2018 |title=Dr. Vanila Singh, Chief Medical Officer, US Department of Health and Human Services, gave a presentation on The Opioid Crisis and Pain Management and was awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award last week at ASIPP's 20th Annual Meeting |access-date=2020-11-18 |language=en}}

• United States House of Representatives elections in California, 2014

{{Reflist|30em}}

• [https://www.drvanilasingh.com/ drvanilasingh.com]
• [https://med.stanford.edu/profiles/vanila-singh Vanila Singh at Stanford University]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Singh, Vanila}}

Category:People from Fremont, California

Category:Living people

Category:People from Bikaner

Category:Stanford University faculty

Category:California Republicans

Category:Indian emigrants to the United States

Category:American pain physicians

Category:Year of birth missing (living people)