Announcing School of Medicine Dean & Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs, 5-16-24

Dear students, faculty and staff,

We are pleased to announce that John H. Sampson, MD, PhD, MHSc, MBA, has been named University of Colorado School of Medicine Dean and Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs, effective July 1, 2024. After an extensive national search, we are tremendously fortunate to have a leader of Dr. Sampson’s stature and experience joining CU Anschutz in this vital role.

Dr. Sampson is currently senior vice president for Duke University Health System and Duke Health Integrated Practice in Durham, North Carolina, where he leads thousands of medical faculty, community physicians, psychologists and advanced practice providers who together compose the university's clinical team. 

A neurosurgeon by training, he holds the Robert H. and Gloria Wilkins Distinguished Professorship in Neurosurgery, served as the inaugural chair of the Duke Department of Neurosurgery, and has a clinical focus on advancing new therapies for brain tumors and other diseases of the nervous system.

Dr. Sampson is an accomplished physician-scientist and member of the National Academy of Medicine whose career has spanned clinical practice, research, education and organizational leadership. An accomplished scholar, he has authored nearly 300 peer-reviewed publications and long stood as a highly funded investigator in his field with substantial grant awards from the National Institutes of Health. Beyond his responsibilities at Duke, he leads in several entrepreneurial ventures and holds board appointments for health systems, foundations and companies focused on innovation in health and medicine. 

His training began with a medical degree in his home country of Canada, followed by a doctorate in neuroimmunology and a master’s of health science in clinical research at Duke University. After research training in neuro-oncology, Dr. Sampson took an interest in health sector management, furthering his education with a master’s in business administration from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business. 

With a distinguished career marked by a demonstrated passion for academic medicine and dedication to developing the healthcare workforce, Dr. Sampson is just the leader to take the CU School of Medicine to new heights and to serve as our vice chancellor for health affairs. His decades of experience will no doubt serve us well as we head into our next chapter, and we are eager to work together in pursuit of ambitious goals for the future.

We thank the members of the search committee who worked with executive search firm Spencer Stuart to find the right candidate for this role. We appreciate all who attended the candidate Town Hall events and shared feedback on the finalists. 

Our deepest gratitude goes to John Reilly, Jr., MD, for all he has made possible over the past nine years at the helm and for positioning us well for this leadership transition as he prepares for retirement. 

Please join us in welcoming Dr. Sampson as we cast our sights on what is next for the CU School of Medicine and the CU Anschutz Medical Campus.

Don Elliman
Chancellor