New Chair and Physician-in-Chief

Dr. Myles Wolf, an esteemed physician-scientist who specializes in nephrology, has been appointed Sanford I. Weill Chair of the Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and physician-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Dr. Wolf will lead Weill Cornell Medicine’s largest clinical and academic department, overseeing 16 divisions and nearly 2,250 physicians and scientists — health care innovators and skilled experts in their areas of medicine. Dr. Wolf will seek to further enhance and expand the reach of Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian’s exceptional clinical care, while also broadening the department’s research portfolio. As chair, he will recruit leading clinicians and investigators to join the distinguished team already in place in the Weill Department of Medicine and foster the next generation of medical leaders through its education programs — including residency and fellowship programs in a range of specialties.

Dr. Wolf was recruited from Duke University School of Medicine, where he was chief of the Division of Nephrology and the Charles Johnson, MD Distinguished Professor of Medicine, while also serving as the Nephrology Therapeutic Area Leader at the Duke Clinical Research Institute.

He succeeds Dr. Anthony Hollenberg, who led the Weill Department of Medicine from 2017 to 2022. Dr. John Leonard, senior associate dean for innovation and initiatives and the Richard T. Silver Distinguished Professor of Hematology and Medical Oncology, served as interim chair from October 2022 until Dr. Wolf began his term on July 1.

“Dr. Wolf is a distinguished scientist, physician, educator and leader, and we are delighted that he has joined our institution as chair of the Weill Department of Medicine,” said Dr. Robert A. Harrington, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine. “With Dr. Wolf at the helm, the department will continue to maintain its reputation of excellence, built on a foundation of cutting-edge research and innovation, world-class care and the cultivation of future health care leaders.”

“This is a transformational opportunity and an extraordinary amount of responsibility, given the scale and the scope of the department,” Dr. Wolf said. “Ultimately, this role is about service to others, which is what energizes me. It’s an opportunity to learn and to work with amazing people at an outstanding institution where, together, even more can be achieved.”