Ankita Kadakia,M.D. serves as the Deputy Public Health Officer for the County of San Diego. Prior to her current role she served as the Chief and Medical Director for the County’s Tuberculosis Control and Refugee Health Branch and is the President of the California Tuberculosis Controller’s Association. Dr.Kadakia is a board-certified Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease specialist. She has served in leading, coordinating, supervising, and managing operations for Covid-19 as well as coordinating the County Public Health Service’s Tuberculosis Elimination Initiative. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, she has played a critical role as a medical subject matter expert and Tri-Chair of the County COVID-19 Vaccine Clinical Advisory Group.
Prior to joining the County, Dr. Kadakia worked at the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) as an Assistant Professor of Medicine with a focus on HIV/AIDS and LGBTQ healthcare while practicing HIV medicine at UCSD Owen Clinic. While at UCSD, Dr. Kadakia created the first Transgender HealthCare Symposium and became a co- principal investigator for the San Diego Pacific AIDS Education and Training Center.
Dr. Kadakia’s passion, for serving underserved patients and preventing and treating Tuberculosis, STDs and HIV/AIDS, transcends borders. She has spent time in Uganda serving rural areas, partnering with Ugandans, to build and support schools for AIDS orphans and impoverished children. When she is not working, she immensely enjoys spending time with her two young children and practicing and teaching Kelee meditation.