The Institute for Health Policy & Politics (IHPP) at Lehigh University’s College of Health is pleased to announce the appointment of Adrian Shanker as the inaugural Senior Fellow. With this appointment, Shanker, a national leader in LGBTQI+ health policy, will provide guest lectures and support for College of Health students. This non-residential appointment will run from September 1, 2025-August 31, 2026.
“I’m really thrilled to be able to partner with the Institute for Health Policy & Politics at Lehigh’s College of Health,” said Shanker. “We need more public health leaders beginning their careers with their passion and excitement, and also with the knowledge of what works and what doesn’t work. Lehigh’s College of Health is well-positioned to help graduate students into this important field.”
Established in 2021, the IHPP equips students and researchers with an in-depth knowledge of the policy-making process and the political factors involved, said Eduardo J. Gómez. Gómez serves as the Director of the IHPP and Co-Director of the Integrated Health and Business (IHB) program. He is also a professor in the department of population health.
According to Gómez, Shanker “has an amazing background in terms of leadership and policy experience and understanding the politics of policy reform at the highest level—fighting for LGBTQI+ rights, but also other health issues as well. We’re honored that he considered us. I believe we would benefit tremendously from his insights and experience on health policy and politics.”
Most recently, Shanker served as Deputy Assistant Secretary for Health Policy and Senior Advisor on LGBTQI+ Health Equity at the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) during the Biden-Harris Administration. During this time, he led the Office of Policy and Legislation for the HHS Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, overseeing policy for twelve public health offices and the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps. He also led LGBTQI+ policy for all divisions of HHS, including regulatory and non-regulatory policy. Highlights of his work at HHS include his leadership of the department’s Sexual Orientation and Gender Identity Data Action Plan, updated FDA blood donor rules replacing time-based deferrals for gay and bisexual men with an individual risk-assessment where all donors are asked the same questions, and work with CMS to finalize a National Coverage Determination for HIV PrEP, medication taken to help prevent contracting HIV, by making all forms of PrEP free for Medicare participants for the first time.
Earlier in the Biden-Harris administration Shanker was appointed to the Presidential Advisory Council on HIV/AIDS. In 2025, he founded Shanker Strategies, a consulting practice offering non-profit management, LGBTQI+ health, and government relations/advocacy consulting. He is the editor of two anthologies, Bodies and Barriers: Queer Activists on Health and Crisis and Care: Queer Activist Responses to the Pandemic.
Importantly, Shanker has an extensive history in Pennsylvania. From 2014-2022 he founded and led Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center in Allentown. During that time he created the Pennsylvania LGBTQ Health Needs assessment, a comprehensive statewide survey that measures LGBTQ health access needs, health challenges, and disparities.
At Lehigh, Shanker will continue his research in LGBTQI+ health and health promotion, specifically focusing in two areas: addressing current health policy shifts impacting this population, as well as exploring the intersection between the social determinants of health and LGBTQI+ health outcomes. Additionally, Shanker will deliver guest lectures and will serve as a mentor to students in the College’s new LGBTQ+ health minor, as well as those interested in health policy. Shanker will organize a visit to Washington, D.C. for College of Health students during National Public Health Week in April 2026 for an insider’s view of the federal health policy process.
According to Beth Dolan, Dean of the College of Health, supporting the health and well-being of the LGBTQI+ community is a priority, especially given recent developments with the erasure of federal data sets for this population. “We want to do our part to step within that gap in terms of both the research and the messaging to students, that of course, you’re part of our community and your health is as important as anyone else’s health,” Dolan said. “It’s important to me on a lot of levels—intellectually, personally, as a leader—to make sure we’re doing this.”
Dolan noted that not only does Lehigh University have an outstanding Pride Center, but the COH has a partnership with Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center and has hired new faculty working in this space. Dolan described Shanker as a “prolific networker” who creates meaningful relationships, an asset that will be particularly valuable as the IHPP seeks to grow the size of the fellows program in the coming years.
Shanker looks forward to helping students to bridge the gap between theory and practice, and to help students understand how public policy can play a critical role in achieving public health goals.
“There are incredible opportunities for students to consider careers in health policy, and I look forward to providing some of that lens to the College of Health” said Shanker. “I look forward to engaging with the College of Health during this fellowship.”
