Institute Director, Friedman Brain Institute

About the Mount Sinai Health System

Mount Sinai Health System is one of the largest academic medical systems in the New York metro area, with 48,000 employees working across seven hospitals, more than 400 outpatient practices, more than 600 research and clinical labs, a school of nursing, and a leading school of medicine and graduate education. Mount Sinai advances health for all people, everywhere, by taking on the most complex health care challenges of our time—discovering and applying new scientific learning and knowledge; developing safer, more effective treatments; educating the next generation of medical leaders and innovators; and supporting local communities by delivering high-quality care to all who need it.

Through the integration of its hospitals, labs, and schools, Mount Sinai offers comprehensive health care solutions from birth through geriatrics, leveraging innovative approaches such as artificial intelligence and informatics while keeping patients’ medical and emotional needs at the center of all treatment. The Health System includes approximately 9,000 primary and specialty care physicians and 11 free-standing joint-venture centers throughout the five boroughs of New York City, Westchester, Long Island, and Florida. Hospitals within the System are consistently ranked by Newsweek’s® “The World’s Best Smart Hospitals, Best in State Hospitals, World Best Hospitals and Best Specialty Hospitals” and by U.S. News & World Report's® “Best Hospitals” and “Best Children’s Hospitals.” The Mount Sinai Hospital is on the U.S. News & World Report® “Best Hospitals” Honor Roll for 2024-2025.

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 2,600 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.

Position Summary

The Director of the Friedman Brain Institute (the “Institute”) at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai provides visionary leadership to advance neuroscience research, education, and clinical integration across Mount Sinai’s academic medical system. The Director will foster interdisciplinary collaboration among core departments: Neuroscience, Neurology, Psychiatry, and Neurosurgery, as well as other neuro-related departments including Genetics and Genomic Sciences, Rehabilitation Medicine, Ophthalmology, Pharmacology, and Stem Cell Biology.

Key Responsibilities include but not limited to:

Strategic Leadership & Collaboration

• Develop and promote a cohesive neuroscience strategy across research and clinical departments.
• Build joint, synergistic research programs to integrate basic and clinical neuroscience.
• Collaborate with department chairs to enhance clinical services, educational programs, and residency training in neuroscience-related specialties.

Program Oversight

• Lead the development and execution of all Institute programs, services, and activities to meet strategic goals.
• Maintain a strong personal research profile with sustained grant support and a national/international reputation in neuroscience.
• Oversee the neuroscience graduate program in collaboration with the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences.

Faculty Development

• Recruit and mentor a diverse and innovative faculty.
• Conduct annual performance evaluations and recommend promotions and raises in collaboration with department chairs.
• Promote professional development for junior faculty and postdoctoral fellows.

Research Advancement

• Oversee research operations, ensuring alignment with institutional compliance and scientific excellence.
• Review all neuroscience-related grants for alignment with institutional goals.
• Lead efforts to secure extramural funding, including interdisciplinary and equipment grants.
• Support translational neuroscience research and commercialization through partnerships and innovation.

Operational Management

• Manages lab space on Icahn 9-10 and Hess 9-10 plus a bit of space elsewhere across campus, including also space at West Campus and Mount Sinai West.
• Provide administrative oversight of budgets, financial planning, and expenditures.
• Ensure space and facilities meet the research and operational needs of the Institute.

Outreach & Development

• Work closely with the Mount Sinai Development Office to cultivate philanthropic support for neuroscience initiatives.
• Oversee outreach and public engagement activities such as the Brain Fair, the FBI newsletter, and educational webinars.
• Oversee faculty and postdoctoral awards, including the FBI Scholar Awards and Postdoc Innovator Awards, all funded by philanthropy.

External Engagement

• Represent the Institute in national and international forums.
• Foster partnerships with external academic, clinical, and industry organizations that align with FBI’s mission.

Qualifications

• MD, PhD, or equivalent in Neuroscience or a related field.
• Distinguished record of scientific achievement, academic leadership, and research funding.
• Demonstrated ability to lead multidisciplinary teams and foster cross-departmental collaboration.

Reports to:

Eric J. Nestler, MD, PhD

Interim Dean, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai

Executive Vice President and Chief Scientific Officer, Mount Sinai Health System

Nash Family Professor of Neuroscience and Psychiatry