Dr. Ziyad Al-Aly
Clinical epidemiologist and Long COVID researcher
Long COVID • post-viral chronic disease • multi-organ effects of SARS-CoV-2 • large-scale electronic health record research
About the expert
Focus: Leading research on Long COVID's multi-organ impacts and infection-associated chronic disease, using large-scale health data
Chief of Research and Development at the Veterans Affairs St. Louis Health Care System, Clinical Epidemiologist. Pioneered the use of the VA's large electronic health record system to study Long COVID, producing some of the most cited research on multi-organ effects of SARS-CoV-2 (including the link to new-onset diabetes). Background includes a transition from computer science to medicine. Strong NIH/Nature-published track record. Advocates for permanent research infrastructure for infection-associated chronic illnesses. Mainstream-anchored research, frequently published in Nature, NEJM, JAMA.
Why this matters
Helps explain what mainstream-anchored Long COVID research has actually found - persistent multi-organ effects regardless of initial illness severity, the diabetes-after-COVID link, cumulative risk from re-infection, and the gap between what's known and what's clinically actionable. Strongest on big-data epidemiology of post-viral disease. Broadly aligned with mainstream Long COVID research and public-health understanding, though some findings continue to be refined as evidence accumulates. Politicization of the pandemic means his findings have been contested in non-research forums; the research itself is well-anchored.