Tamar Tchelidze, MD, MPH, DrPH (c)
Bethesda,MD
Summary
Dynamic physician-executive and health systems strategist with over 20 years of experience in high-stakes medical affairs, operational leadership, and health diplomacy. Expertise in designing and implementing national-scale disease elimination models and medical readiness frameworks for leading global organizations. Currently spearheading medical strategy and portfolio budget management at Roche, focusing on translating complex clinical data into actionable operational systems, innovative digital engagement tools, and KPI-driven results that facilitate impactful product launches. Committed to advancing healthcare solutions that enhance patient outcomes and optimize organizational performance.
Overview
28
28
years of professional experience
Work History
Senior Medical Manager | Strategy Lead | Infectious Diseases
Roche, Medical & Scientific Affairs
10.2021 - Current
- Advise senior leadership on infectious disease strategy, translating clinical evidence, regulatory policy, & RWE into medical initiatives for portfolio development & adoption.
- Lead pre-launch, launch, and post-launch medical readiness activities, coordinating cross-functional teams across Medical Affairs, Commercial, Clinical Development, and Market Access.
- Established operational frameworks for field medical teams to support medical strategy execution and launch readiness, aligning strategic medical goals with field engagement.
- Partner with Clinical Development and Operations to support investigator engagement, study feasibility, and execution of Roche and investigator-initiated studies.
- Directly responsible for the strategic allocation and management of the Infectious Disease Portfolio budget.
- Design and oversee medical education programs and scientific exchange initiatives preparing field teams and external stakeholders for innovations and evolving clinical guidelines.
- Lead advisory boards, expert interviews, and congress intelligence programs to inform medical strategy, field engagement, and lifecycle management.
- Collaborate with global and affiliate stakeholders to translate global strategy into effective U.S. medical programs supporting adoption and evidence development.
Senior Policy Fellow
UC Berkeley, School of Public Health
10.2019 - 10.2021
- Led FDA-partnered regulatory science initiatives advancing RWE integration and modern clinical trial frameworks.
- Directed multimillion-dollar interdisciplinary programs, overseeing governance, budgets, vendors, and scientific deliverables.
- Convened cross-sector working groups of regulators, academia, and industry to address regulatory and evidence-generation priorities.
- Led national scientific symposia translating regulatory innovation into strategic insights for healthcare leaders and industry stakeholders.
- Mentored multidisciplinary teams and built education programs supporting adoption of emerging regulatory and evidence frameworks.
Senior Health Policy & Multilateral Affairs Advisor
United Nations
New York, New York
05.2017 - 09.2019
- Co-drafted and advanced the Universal Health Coverage Political Declaration, aligning governments and WHO leadership around equity and accountability commitments.
- Integrated civil society and patient voices into UHC negotiations through structured global consultation forums.
- Mobilized cross-sector coalitions to secure measurable access and quality-of-care commitments.
- Authored a global health textbook chapter on UHC and multilateral governance.
- Translated complex technical priorities into politically actionable commitments adopted at the UN General Assembly.
Senior Advisor, Health Strategy & Partnerships
Embassy of Georgia
Washington, DC
05.2017 - 09.2019
- Led bilateral health diplomacy between Georgia and U.S. federal agencies, securing strategic partnerships to modernize national disease programs.
- Initiated and launched National Hepatitis Elimination Program with CDC and Gilead, one of the first national elimination models globally.
- Embedded cure rates and patient-reported outcomes into national performance metrics, shifting accountability toward measurable population impact.
- Revised 40 national clinical protocols and developed accredited HCP curricula, aligning treatment standards with quality benchmarks.
- Founded and operationalized the MEDEA International Medical Platform to advance patient-centered health system strengthening and innovation adoption.
Physician | Clinical Researcher
Infectious Diseases & Clinical Immunology Center
01.1998 - 05.2002
- Delivered specialized care to immunocompromised patients, contributing to measurable improvements in clinical outcomes.
- Led and conducted clinical studies in infectious diseases and immunology, contributing to protocol development, study execution, and evidence generation.
Medical Liaison
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
04.1999 - 05.2000
- Provided evidence-based scientific exchange as a liaison for GSK’s portfolio
- Built and managed relationships with KOLs and HCPs, identifying evidence gaps and emerging scientific trends.
- Delivered scientific presentations that translated complex data into actionable insights.
Education
Doctor of Public Health -
George Washington University
Washington, DC01-2026
Master of Public Health - undefined
State University of New York
Albany, NY06-2002
Medical Doctor - undefined
Tbilisi State Medical University
Georgia06-1998
Skills
Medical Affairs Strategy & Scientific Leadership
Product Lifecycle Strategy & Launch Excellence
Evidence Generation & Real-World Evidence (RWE)
KOL Engagement & Scientific Partnerships
Cross-Functional Leadership & Enterprise Alignment
Healthcare Policy & Market Access Strategy
- Patient safety advocacy
Accomplishments
KEY ACHIEVEMNTS
• Roche Enterprise Team Impact Award - Recognized for leading cross-functional medical strategy and alignment.
• Led the National Hepatitis C Elimination Program, achieving a 40% reduction in disease burden within five years; the program is now a global model for disease elimination.
• Partnered with FDA and academic stakeholders on clinical trial redesign, enabling two novel products to successfully enter the market and accelerating prevention therapy development.
• Co-authored the United Nations Universal Health Coverage Political Declaration, adopted by UN Member States to advance global health equity.
PUBLICATIONS AND ACCEPTED ABSTRACTS (selected)
- Tchelidze T, Mayer KH, Baron J, Hazra A, Robinson N. Modeling the impact of increased PrEP use on sexually acquired HIV incidence in the United States. OFID 2026.
- Bilir SP, Krishnamurthy P, Karich JK, Ferrufino C, Tchelidze T, et al. Economic impact of cobas HIV-1/HIV-2 qualitative NAT in routine HIV testing. CID 2025.
- Baron J, Tchelidze T, La Brot B, Yao J, Mayer KH, Kuritzkes D, Robinson N, Patel RR. High rates of missed HIV testing among oral PrEP users in the United States. OFID 2024.
- Mbichila T, Kumwenda G, Yola N, Abdool Karim Q, Tchelidze T, Lau J, Buchholz S, Lehnert R, Molina JM, Mayer KH, Miller V. COVID-19 research, Africa, and global health. Journal of Virus Eradication. 2021
- Ezoe S, Tchelidze T, Premabhuti N, Costa MAC. A Guide to Global Health Diplomacy. Geneva: Global Health, 2021
Timeline
Senior Medical Manager | Strategy Lead | Infectious Diseases
Roche, Medical & Scientific Affairs
10.2021 - Current
Senior Policy Fellow
UC Berkeley, School of Public Health
10.2019 - 10.2021
Senior Health Policy & Multilateral Affairs Advisor
United Nations
05.2017 - 09.2019
Senior Advisor, Health Strategy & Partnerships
Embassy of Georgia
05.2017 - 09.2019
Medical Liaison
GlaxoSmithKline (GSK)
04.1999 - 05.2000
Physician | Clinical Researcher
Infectious Diseases & Clinical Immunology Center
01.1998 - 05.2002
Master of Public Health - undefined
State University of New York
Medical Doctor - undefined
Tbilisi State Medical University
Doctor of Public Health -
George Washington University