Physician-Scientist Brian S. Kim Joins Northwell as First Chief Biotechnology Officer

The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research—the research home of Northwell Health—has appointed Brian S. Kim, M.D., as vice president and chief biotechnology officer at Northwell and head of intellectual asset management at the Feinstein Institutes. Dr. Kim will also serve as the inaugural Robin and Jack Ross Chair in Bioelectronic Medicine and Neuroimmunology and professor in the Institute of Bioelectronic Medicine.

A dermatologist and physician-scientist, Dr. Kim joins the Feinstein Institutes from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York, N.Y. He has authored more than 190 peer-reviewed publications in medical journals, including Cell, Nature, Science, New England Journal of Medicine, and JAMA. He has been continuously funded by the National Institutes of Health since 2011 and leads the Allen Discovery Center for Neuroimmune Interactions, a $10 million multi-institutional center funded by Allen Family Philanthropies.

“Dr. Kim bridges medical research, clinical innovation and biotechnology entrepreneurship, and will innovate the field of bioelectronic medicine,”  said Kevin J. Tracey, M.D., president/CEO of the Feinstein Institutes and the Karches Family Distinguished Chair in Medical Research. “As our first chief biotechnology officer, he will accelerate discoveries from our labs into useful treatments that reach patients faster.”

Dr. Kim’s research has led to significant clinical advances, including the design of pivotal clinical trials that resulted in two first-in-class U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved treatments for atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis. As an inventor of itch-centered technologies and a multiple patent holder, he co-founded Alys Pharmaceuticals, a clinical-stage immuno-dermatology biotech company, as well as two additional biotech companies—Neurommune Therapeutics and Attu Therapeutics—where he also chairs the scientific advisory board.

His contributions to medicine have been recognized with numerous awards, including the Marion B. Sulzberger Award, Stephen I. Katz Lectureship, Donald Y. M. Leung Award, American Skin Association Research Achievement Award in Discovery, and the Young Dermatologist Achievement Award from the International League of Dermatological Societies. Dr. Kim has served on the editorial boards of several industry periodicals, including the Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology, Journal of Immunology, eLife, and Cell Reports Medicine.

“The opportunity to lead biotechnology initiatives while advancing bioelectronic medicine and neuroimmunology research represents the perfect union of my clinical, scientific, and entrepreneurial passion and expertise,” Dr. Kim stated. “I’m eager to collaborate with all of the teams at the Feinstein Institutes and colleagues throughout Northwell Health to speed up the process of bringing laboratory breakthroughs into practice.”

Dr. Kim’s endowed chair is made possible by Feinstein Institutes Board Vice Chairman Jack Ross and his wife, Robin, assistant vice president of principal gifts at Northwell Health. In his leadership role, Dr. Kim will oversee the strategic development and management of biotechnology initiatives and intellectual property assets while continuing to advance research in bioelectronic medicine and neuroimmunology.

In addition to his research and leadership responsibilities, Dr. Kim will be a professor in the Department of Dermatology at Northwell Health.

“Dr. Kim’s appointment reflects our commitment to transforming bold research into better outcomes for our patients,” Northwell President/CEO John D’Angelo, M.D., commented. “With his leadership, we can better translate breakthrough science and pioneer the future of medicine while staying grounded in our mission to produce knowledge to cure disease.”

The Feinstein Institutes consider themselves a global pioneer in bioelectronic medicine, a field that uses electrical stimulation of the nervous system to treat disease. Under Dr. Tracey’s leadership, researchers discovered the inflammatory reflex and demonstrated the nervous system can be harnessed to control inflammation and immune responses. This work led to the first FDA-approved vagus nerve stimulation implant to treat rheumatoid arthritis in 2025, with ongoing research addressing Crohn’s disease and other inflammatory conditions. Dr. Kim will help advance this research and its translation to patients through Northwell’s new clinical Center for Bioelectronic Medicine, which brings these therapies to patients with previously treatment-resistant conditions.

The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research houses the research institutes of Northwell Health, the largest health care provider and private employer in New York State. Encompassing 50-plus research labs, 3,000 clinical research studies, and 5,000 researchers and staff, the Feinstein Institutes raise the standard of medical innovation through its six institutes of behavioral science, bioelectronic medicine, cancer, health system science, molecular medicine, and translational research. The Institutes are branded as the global scientific leader in bioelectronic medicine—a field of science that can potentially revolutionize medicine. The Feinstein Institutes publish two open-access, international peer-reviewed journals: Molecular Medicine and Bioelectronic Medicine. Through the Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine, the Institutes offer an accelerated Ph.D. program.