Kalahn Taylor-Clark

Dr. Kalahn Taylor-Clark, PhD, MPH, serves as Vice President and Head of Social Impact and Sustainability at Merck & Co., where she leads the company’s sustainability strategy, global impact investing, corporate giving, mission-aligned partnerships, and social innovation initiatives. Her portfolio includes oversight of the Merck Foundation, Merck for Mothers, the U.S. Patient Assistance Program, the Mectizan Donation Program, and the Merck Impact Venture Fund. She is also an adjunct faculty member at the Johns Hopkins Carey Business School, teaching Healthcare Organizational Leadership and Inclusive Leadership. 

Prior to Merck, Dr. Taylor-Clark was Vice President and Head of Strategic Partnerships and Innovation at Myovant Sciences, directing patient-centered advocacy, digital innovation, and health equity initiatives in women’s health and prostate cancer. From 2015–2021, she held multiple leadership roles at Sanofi, culminating as Vice President and Global Head of Patient Centered Outcomes and Innovation, where she built a pioneering global function that integrated patient insights across all late-stage R&D programs. 

Earlier in her career, Dr. Taylor-Clark was a Senior Advisor and Assistant Professor at George Mason University’s Center for Health Policy, Research and Ethics, contributing to the development of the Accountable Health Communities model, which helped inform the national expansion of Section 1115 waivers for non-medical services. She also served as Director of Health Policy at the National Partnership for Women & Families and led the Patient-Centeredness and Health Equity portfolios at the Brookings Institution’s Engelberg Center for Health Care Reform. 

Dr. Taylor-Clark holds a BA in International Relations from Tufts University, an MPH from the Tufts School of Medicine, and a PhD in Health Policy from Harvard University. She serves on the Tufts University Board of Trustees and previously served as President of the Board of Prevention Institute. She lives in Arlington, VA, with her son, Dashiell, and two dogs, and is proficient in French.