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

MANHASSET, N.Y.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Building on its legacy as the global pioneer in bioelectronic medicine, The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research, the research home of Northwell Health, today announced the appointment of Brian S. Kim, MD, MTR, 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 leading dermatologist and physician-scientist, Dr. Kim joins the Feinstein Institutes from the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. He has authored more than 190 peer-reviewed publications in leading 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, MD, president and 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-approved treatments for atopic dermatitis and prurigo nodularis. As an inventor of itch-centered technologies and holder of multiple patents, 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 serves as chair of the scientific advisory board.

His contributions to medicine have been recognized with numerous prestigious 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 also served on the editorial boards of several prominent journals, 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,” said Dr. Kim. “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 the generosity of 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 hold an appointment as 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,” said John D’Angelo, MD, Northwell’s president and CEO. “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 is a global pioneer in bioelectronic medicine, a revolutionary field that uses electrical stimulation of the nervous system to treat disease. Under the leadership of Dr. Tracey, researchers discovered the inflammatory reflex and demonstrated that the nervous system can be harnessed to control inflammation and immune responses. This groundbreaking 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 cutting-edge therapies to patients with previously treatment-resistant conditions.

If you are interested in learning more about the center and current bioelectronic clinical trials offered at Northwell Health, click here or call 1-227-BIO-INST (246-4678).

About the Feinstein Institutes

The Feinstein Institutes for Medical Research is the home of the research institutes of Northwell Health, the largest health care provider and private employer in New York State. Encompassing 50+ research labs, 3,000 clinical research studies and 5,000 researchers and staff, the Feinstein Institutes raises the standard of medical innovation through its six institutes of behavioral science, bioelectronic medicine, cancer, health system science, molecular medicine, and translational research. We are the global scientific leader in bioelectronic medicine – an innovative field of science that has the potential to revolutionize medicine. The Feinstein Institutes publishes two open-access, international peer-reviewed journals Molecular Medicine and Bioelectronic Medicine. Through the Elmezzi Graduate School of Molecular Medicine, we offer an accelerated PhD program. For more information about how we produce knowledge to cure disease, visit http://feinstein.northwell.edu and follow us on LinkedIn.