Deborah Wafer is the Public Affairs Senior Director of US Virology, Community Engagement and Patient Advocacy at Gilead Sciences. During her time at Gilead, she has developed ongoing relationships with key decision makers at public health and community health organizations as well as academic institutions. She has also been a member of the HIV Medical Affairs and HCV marketing teams, developing innovative programming and tools designed to engage providers, patients, and communities.

She received her BS in Community Health Education from California State College at Northridge (CSUN) and completed the PA program at Charles Drew University in Los Angeles. She subsequently worked for the Department of Family Medicine at King- Drew and in the Department of OB-GYN. She graduated from West Los Angeles College, Registered Nursing Program and combined classes at the University of California, Los Angeles to become a Nurse Practitioner.

Prior to joining the pharmaceutical industry, she was a clinician at UCLA Medical Center in the Clinical AIDS Education and Research Center (CARE Center), where she provided primary care and coordinated clinical trials for people living with HIV. She was also instrumental in translating clinical research to the community and patients. One of her career highlights was helping to develop and implement protocols that dramatically decreased HIV transmission from mothers to infants. Other significant contributions include creating a unique program at Gilead, “Beyond the Diagnosis,” that addresses HIV testing, treatment and stigma, and spearheading the development of Mujeres Como Tu! (Women Like You), a DVD and discussion guide designed to start a conversation in the Latino community in order to increase awareness and education. Currently she serves as Board Chair of the National Black Leadership Commission on AIDS and the Chair of the Association of Nurses in AIDS Care (ANAC) Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee.