Michele Gazda

Michele Gazda is the Associate Director of Advocacy for the Overdose Prevention Initiative at the Global Health Advocacy Incubator. She leads efforts to advance federal policies that prevent overdose deaths and strengthen the nation’s response to the opioid crisis. Before joining GHAI, Michele directed the behavioral health portfolio at the Bipartisan Policy Center, where she developed and advanced federal policy recommendations to improve mental health and substance use systems, including for youth and families. She previously served as a health policy fellow for a member of the House Committee on Appropriations and led several national public health initiatives at Booz Allen Hamilton for the Department of Defense. Michele’s expertise has been featured in major media outlets, and her research has been published in peer-reviewed journals. She holds a Master of Public Health from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Arts from Ohio Wesleyan University.