Varun Punnam

Varun grew up in Bridgewater, New Jersey, and graduated summa cum laude from the University of Pittsburgh Honors College. His undergraduate thesis was on the role of cell wall proteins as a tuberculosis virulence factor. In 2024, he graduated from the Boston University School of Public Health with dual concentrations in Health Policy and Law & Epidemiology and Biostatistics.

As a graduate student, Varun conducted policy research on organ transplantation, Medicaid estate recovery, and drug decriminalization. He has worked in academia, government, and private sector roles, combining his experience in microbiology, public health, and law. Most recently, he worked with the New Jersey Department of Health to develop biostatistical methods for monitoring the spread of avian influenza and design effective public health measures.

At Georgetown Law, Varun is a member of the John H. Jackson Moot Court Competition team and Barrister’s Council. As part of Georgetown’s Technology Law and Policy Scholars program, he focuses on administrative and health law issues, especially those involving novel biotechnology.

Varun’s work on the United States Department of Agriculture’s regulatory authority over livestock vaccines for avian influenza has been published in the Drake Journal of Agricultural Law. Outside of school, he enjoys reading science fiction and editing Wikipedia’s law and microbiology content.