EXCOM Member

Dr. Ramya Sundararaman, MD, MPH, PMP is the Deputy Director of the Defense Suicide Prevention Office. She is a nationally recognized, published expert in suicide prevention in the United States. Dr. Sundararaman is a public health physician with certification as a Lean Six Sigma Master Black Belt, Project Management, Health Information Management, and Defense Financial Management. She has over two decades’ experience in suicide prevention strategic planning, surveillance, research, and evaluation. She led the creation of the Defense Strategy for Suicide Prevention and Veterans Suicide Prevention Strategy. Dr. Sundararaman was the expert on suicide prevention for the U.S. Congress, supporting Members of Congress in their deliberations on key legislative areas, including the 2010 health reform law, and the mental health parity law. She set up and managed technical assistance for the national Suicide Prevention Resource Center. She also developed and led the Massachusetts Suicide Prevention Program. Dr. Sundararaman has conducted psychological autopsy research on suicidal behaviors, provided trainings, and facilitated meetings across the country, providing evaluation guidance for all 50 states with their suicide prevention programs.