PROVIDENCE, R.I. [Brown University] — Dr. Mukesh K. Jain, an accomplished academic and health care leader and a physician-scientist who specializes in cardiovascular medicine, has been appointed dean of medicine and biological sciences at Brown University.
Jain serves currently as chief academic officer at University Hospitals health system in Cleveland and vice dean for medical sciences at Case Western Reserve University. In joining Brown, he will lead the Division of Biology and Medicine, which encompasses the Warren Alpert Medical School, four biological science departments, 14 clinical departments and two hybrid departments. He will also manage the medical school’s relationships with nine affiliated hospitals.
Brown President Christina H. Paxson said Jain’s experience leading university-hospital partnerships in a first-rate health care system positions him for success at a moment when Brown, Lifespan and Care New England — Rhode Island’s two largest health care systems — are working to create an integrated academic health system.
“As we work both at Brown and with our affiliates toward improved health for all Rhode Islanders, we sought a leader with a clear and compelling vision for scientific discovery, excellence in biomedical education and world-class clinical care,” Paxson said. “Mukesh Jain brings those attributes and more. He has the track record, skills and innovative approach to take academic medicine at Brown to the next level of excellence, and I look forward to years of collaborative partnership to come.”
In his new role, Jain will serve as the strategic and academic leader of biological sciences programs, biomedical research and medical education at Brown. Key responsibilities include supporting expansion of research activity across the Division of Biology and Medicine, with a vision to advance Brown’s position in the top tier of medical schools and basic science and clinical departments. Integral to his role will be sustaining a culture of ongoing engagement with learners at every level, and promoting and enhancing diversity, equity and inclusion among all members of the community in the execution of education, research and clinical care missions.
Paxson and Brown Provost Richard M. Locke, to whom Jain will report jointly, announced his appointment in a Wednesday, Oct. 20, email to the Brown University community.
“Mukesh Jain is superbly qualified to serve as Brown’s next dean of medicine and biological sciences,” Locke said. “He has demonstrated success in collaborating with hospital partners, supporting translational research and building relationships with communities. He’s an accomplished scholar, educator and innovator, and members of the search committee were impressed by the manner in which he combines outstanding clinical expertise with a deep appreciation of the role of basic science in advancing biomedical research.”
In his joint roles at University Hospitals and Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, where he has held multiple appointments since 2006, Jain developed strategies, priorities and programs to enhance biomedical research efforts across the health system and medical school. He oversees basic and clinical research, a portfolio of programs with nearly $177 million in annual research funding and more than 200 full-time staff, and one of the nation’s largest graduate medical education programs, with over 1,100 residents and fellows.
Jain said that a range of factors piqued his interest in Brown, including the Warren Alpert Medical School’s reputation for outstanding contributions to science and medicine and track record in training top physicians. He’s eager to partner with faculty at Brown’s School of Public Health and Carney Institute for Brain Science as well as colleagues at other schools, institutes and departments on campus. And the potential for greater integration in medical care, research and education in Rhode Island also played a significant role in his decision.
“I hope to leverage my experiences in building robust basic and translational research programs that are aligned and integrated with excellence in clinical care to help the Warren Alpert Medical School and its clinical affiliates achieve even greater impact in advancing standard of care to improve human health,” he said. “And across all biomedical programs, I will work to ensure that Brown is recruiting and retaining the best and brightest from all backgrounds and is at the tip of the national spear in cultivating the next generation of physicians and scientists.”
Increasing the representation of students and faculty from groups historically underrepresented in medicine and science will be a key priority for the dean, along with advancing efforts to ensure that medical school graduates deliver care to patients with a full understanding of social determinants of health and commitment to improving upon existing inequities in health care.