Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD, Named Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has named Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD, the Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine, effective immediately. As Dean, Dr. Nestler will drive the School’s renowned efforts in research and education, which aim to elevate the standard of clinical care in the Health System and around the world.
Dr. Nestler has served as Interim Dean since July, and previously was Dean for Academic Affairs, Chief Scientific Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System, and founding Director of The Friedman Brain Institute. Recruited to Mount Sinai in 2008, Dr. Nestler has contributed substantially to the growth of the Icahn School of Medicine and is best positioned to lead it to new heights of scientific and educational achievement.
“It is the honor and privilege of a lifetime to lead the Icahn School of Medicine. I look forward to working with our distinguished faculty, students, and postgraduate trainees to fundamentally redefine biomedicine and health care delivery in this era of genomics, artificial intelligence, biomedical engineering, and novel approaches to therapeutics,” said Dr. Nestler.
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai has earned a reputation as an international leader in biomedical and public health research, education, and clinical care. Ranked No. 11 nationwide in National Institutes of Health funding, it is in the 99th percentile in research dollars per investigator, according to the Association of American Medical Colleges, and has distinguished itself for its bold and innovative investments in biomedicine. In addition, the School has the distinction of having the largest graduate medical education program in the country, with more than 2,600 residents and clinical fellows.
Dennis S. Charney, MD, previously served as the Anne and Joel Ehrenkranz Dean of the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai for 18 years. He stepped down as Dean in June 2025.
“I am thrilled that the next chapter at the Icahn School of Medicine will develop under Dr. Nestler’s trusted and experienced leadership. And I’m extremely grateful that he has agreed to serve in this role and very much look forward to working with him as we continue to thrive and to grow as one of the leading institutions in the world for biomedical research and medical and graduate education,” said Brendan G. Carr, MD, MA, MS, Chief Executive Officer and Professor and Kenneth L. Davis, MD, Distinguished Chair of the Mount Sinai Health System. Dr. Carr announced the news to staff on Thursday, October 23.
Since 2016, Dr. Nestler has been Dean for Academic Affairs of the Icahn School of Medicine and Chief Scientific Officer of the Mount Sinai Health System. He also served until recently as Director of The Friedman Brain Institute and Nash Family Professor of Neuroscience. Before Dr. Charney recruited him to Mount Sinai in 2008, he served as Chair of the Department of Psychiatry at UT Southwestern and Director of Molecular Psychiatry at Yale.
One of the world’s leading experts on the molecular mechanisms of drug addiction and depression, Dr. Nestler has authored more than 750 publications and five books. He has been Principal Investigator or Co-Principal Investigator of numerous National Institutes of Health grants. He earned his MD and PhD at Yale and has received awards and honors too numerous to list here, including the Wilbur Cross Distinguished Alumnus Medal from Yale University and the Peter Seeburg Prize in Integrative Neuroscience from the Society for Neuroscience. Dr. Nestler is a member of the National Academy of Sciences, National Academy of Medicine, and American Academy of Arts and Sciences.
About the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is internationally renowned for its outstanding research, educational, and clinical care programs. It is the sole academic partner for the seven member hospitals* of the Mount Sinai Health System, one of the largest academic health systems in the United States, providing care to New York City’s large and diverse patient population.
The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai offers highly competitive MD, PhD, MD-PhD, and master’s degree programs, with enrollment of more than 1,200 students. It has the largest graduate medical education program in the country, with more than 2,700 clinical residents and fellows training throughout the Health System. Its Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences offers 13 degree-granting programs, conducts innovative basic and translational research, and trains more than 560 postdoctoral research fellows.
Ranked 11th nationwide in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai is among the 99th percentile in research dollars per investigator according to the Association of American Medical Colleges. More than 4,500 scientists, educators, and clinicians work within and across dozens of academic departments and multidisciplinary institutes with an emphasis on translational research and therapeutics. Through Mount Sinai Innovation Partners (MSIP), the Health System facilitates the real-world application and commercialization of medical breakthroughs made at Mount Sinai.
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* Mount Sinai Health System member hospitals: The Mount Sinai Hospital; Mount Sinai Brooklyn; Mount Sinai Morningside; Mount Sinai Queens; Mount Sinai South Nassau; Mount Sinai West; and New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai.
About the Mount Sinai Health System
Mount Sinai Health System is one of the nation’s leading integrated academic health systems and one of the largest in the New York metropolitan area. Its comprehensive system includes seven hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, over 600 research and clinical laboratories, the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, and the Mount Sinai Phillips School of Nursing. Together, the Health System comprises approximately 48,000 employees, more than 9,000 physicians, and 8,600 nurses.
As a leading learning health system, Mount Sinai combines clinical expertise with scientific discovery to improve patient care while training the next generation of health care and biomedical leaders. The Health System provides care across every stage of life, from prenatal care through geriatrics, while advancing personalized medicine through artificial intelligence, data science, and biomedical research.
Mount Sinai is consistently recognized among the nation’s leading academic health systems for patient care, research, and education. The Mount Sinai Hospital is ranked No. 1 in New York by Newsweek and No. 5 on the magazine’s World’s Best Hospitals list. The Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai ranks No. 11 among U.S. medical schools and No. 1 among freestanding medical schools for National Institutes of Health funding, reflecting the strength of its scientific enterprise and leadership in biomedical research.
