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When Alec C. Kimmelman, MD, PhD, first visited NYU Langone Health in 2015, he noticed something right away. “I realized this place was different from any other place I had ever seen,” he says. What struck him was a pervasive culture of continual self-improvement. “I knew this is where I wanted to continue and even finish my career.”

Dr. Kimmelman has fit right into the striving spirit of our health system. After joining as the Anita Steckler and Joseph Steckler Chair of Radiation Oncology in 2016, he continued his dual role as a distinguished clinician and internationally renowned pancreatic cancer researcher, identifying critical metabolic pathways that enable the disease to grow and spread. In 2023, he was named director of the Laura and Isaac Perlmutter Cancer Center, a National Cancer Institute–designated Comprehensive Cancer Center. Last year, he established the Center for Molecular Oncology, which is redefining the standard of cancer care by ensuring that every patient receives liquid biopsies, enabling clinicians to match each patient’s cancer DNA to the best available therapies.

Now, Dr. Kimmelman has become the 16th dean of NYU Grossman School of Medicine and CEO of NYU Langone, succeeding Robert I. Grossman, MD, who had served since 2007.Leading an organization with 53,000+ employees, 7 inpatient facilities, 320+ outpatient sites, and annual revenues of $15.5 billion is a challenge, but Dr. Kimmelman has shown he is up to the task. Here, he discusses his plans to take the No. 1 integrated academic health system in the United States to even greater heights.

What drew you to medicine, to research, and into the field of cancer?

From a young age, I’d always been fascinated by science and discovery and how that could impact human health. I decided to get an MD and a PhD so I could combine clinical care and research. I was always interested in cancer. My grandmother, with whom I was very close, passed away from cancer. The research I did for my PhD was in cancer biology, because I felt it was an area where you could make a profound impact clinically if you made fundamental discoveries. Ultimately, I chose to focus on one of the deadliest diseases: pancreatic cancer. I felt that anything I could do to move the needle would be meaningful.

As you step into your new role, what are your top priorities?

It’s extremely important not to lose sight of our tripartite mission. We must ensure that every patient who comes into our system receives first-rate care. We must continue to make innovative discoveries in science—and see that those discoveries enhance patient care. We must focus on training the next generation of leaders in science and medicine. How we execute these goals is going to be critical—ensuring that we do it effectively, efficiently, and with the same level of quality our patients have come to expect.

How would you describe your leadership style?

I would say it’s collaborative: building teams, having a clear vision, and empowering people to achieve their goals. You need to inspire other people to accomplish great things.

One of the things that defines me as a leader is that I’m a physician–scientist. I’ve spent a large part of my career taking care of patients with gastrointestinal malignancies, studying cancer in the laboratory, and teaching graduate students and medical students. Having lived the tripartite mission forms the basis of how I lead.

How would you characterize NYU Langone’s culture?

There really is a feeling that there’s no resting on our laurels. When you accomplish something, the follow-up is “What can we do next?” That’s unique, and it extends throughout the entire enterprise at all levels. People here are completely focused on improving patients’ lives, and we’re never satisfied with where we are.

As you look ahead, how can you set new benchmarks for excellence and impact across research, education, and clinical care?

I want to see us further break down the barriers between education, research, and clinical care so that we can have discoveries move from the bench to the bedside, apply that knowledge back into the laboratory, and then have our students and trainees acquire all this newly generated knowledge in parallel so that they can bring it back to our patients. The fully integrated nature of our health system puts us in a strong position to make this concept a reality.

AI is transforming healthcare. What role do you see it playing in predictive and precision medicine?

We can do things we’ve never been able to do before, thanks to AI. And because we have a level of integration few other places can match, we can learn from every single patient who comes into our system. We will use AI in real time to analyze data on patients, make calculated and evidence-based predictions, and suggest diagnoses and treatments that will improve medical care.

The relationship between the CEO and dean and the board chair is an important one. Can you share your expectations for working with the newly appointed board chair, Fiona Druckenmiller?

I’m grateful and excited to have Fiona as my leadership partner. Fiona has been a dynamic trustee since 2006 and a remarkably generous donor since 2009, when she and her husband, Stanley, established what is now the . She’s well acquainted with every aspect of NYU Langone and is not only passionate about medicine, science, and healthcare, but also highly knowledgeable about many related topics. Fiona’s distinguished background in finance and philanthropy makes her an invaluable resource. With her leadership and support, more great things are on the horizon.