Dr. Jan Lee Santos

B.S., University of North Carolina at Pembroke; M.A., Indiana University at Bloomington; M.H.A., University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill; M.D., Ross University

Bio:

Jan Lee Santos, MD, MHA, MA, FACU is an award-winning educator, healthcare leader, and public health advocate currently serving as Assistant Professor of Foundational Sciences at the Methodist University Cape Fear Valley Health School of Medicine. He teaches microbiology, public health, and health systems science, integrating clinical, operational, and research expertise to prepare future physicians for equitable, patient-centered care.

Dr. Santos began his career as a science teacher for the Public Schools of Robeson County, igniting his lifelong passion for mentorship and creating pathways into science and healthcare careers for first-generation and underrepresented learners.

With over 15 years of experience in academic medicine, healthcare operations, and public health leadership, Dr. Santos has spearheaded initiatives in infectious disease response, quality improvement, and workforce development. His public health leadership includes directing an NIH-funded COVID-19 mobile testing and vaccination program, managing a multi-million-dollar equity-focused research portfolio, and designing scalable Medical Assistant and Scribe training programs with exceptional acceptance rates into health profession schools.

Dr. Santos brings extensive expertise in managing and analyzing big data, leveraging large-scale clinical, operational, and public health datasets to inform policy, optimize workflows, identify population health trends, and enhance care delivery. His approach integrates advanced analytics, quality improvement frameworks, and stakeholder engagement to translate data into actionable, system-wide solutions.

He has presented nationally on topics including quality improvement, community-engaged research, big data applications in healthcare, and health workforce innovation. His research background spans RNA virus replication mechanisms, including work on Brome Mosaic Virus, Hepatitis C, and SARS-associated Coronavirus. His focus on RNA-dependent RNA polymerase structure and function has contributed to the identification of pharmaceutical drug targets, infectious disease surveillance, and translational science efforts.

Dr. Santos earned his M.D. from Ross University, M.H.A. from UNC Chapel Hill, M.A. in Microbiology from Indiana University Bloomington, B.S. in Biology from UNC Pembroke, and A.A. from Robeson Community College. He completed medical training in the U.S., U.K., and Caribbean, and also completed a Community-Based Administrative Fellowship at a North Carolina Federally Qualified Health Center.

Dr. Santos remains actively engaged in professional organizations, where he has held several leadership roles. He is a Fellow of the Association of Clinicians for the Underserved and serves on the Education Committee of the American College of Healthcare Executives, which honored him with the ACHE Service Award in 2024 for his mentorship of early-career healthcare executives.