Department of Medicine
University of Wisconsin
School of Medicine and Public Health

Ryan Westergaard, MD, PhD, MPH

ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR

INFECTIOUS DISEASE Faculty

UW MED FNDTN CENTENNIAL BLDG
1685 HIGHLAND AVE
MADISON, WI 53705-2281

(608) 265-7927

Education

  • Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland – MD
  • Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland – Master of Public Health
  • University of Colorado, Denver, Colorado – Residency in Primary Care Internal Medicine
  • Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, Baltimore, Maryland – PhD, Clinical Investigation

Professional Activities

Dr. Ryan Westergaard is a faculty member of the Division of Infectious Disease within the Department of Medicine, and is a member of numerous professional societies, including Physicians for Human Rights, the Infectious Disease Society of America, American College of Physicians, the International AIDS Society, and the Academic Consortium on Criminal Justice Health. Dr. Westergaard serves on numerous NIH special emphasis panels for areas relating to HIV/AIDS and high-risk, disadvantaged populations. In addition to his research program, he serves as the Chief Medical Officer and State Epidemiologist for Communicable Diseases for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services. 

Clinical Specialties

Dr. Westergaard’s clinical interests focus on human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV). 

Research Interests

Dr. Westergaard's research focuses on understanding how social and economic barriers impact infectious disease, and specifically human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV).  He possesses a unique and interdisciplinary skill set that includes infectious disease, epidemiology, engineering, and behavior sciences that allow him to excel in studying these diseases which have such significance in disadvantaged populations.

Dr. Westergaard has received numerous awards for his research, including a K23 Patient-Oriented Research Career Development Award, HIV Medical Association Investigator Award, Infectious Disease Society of America, NIH Director’s New Innovator Award, Avenir Program for Research on Substance Abuse and HIV/AIDS, and was named an Inaugural Fellow, Center for Collaborative Health Equity.