AURORA, Colo. (May 16, 2024) – Following a competitive national search, the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is proud to announce that John H. Sampson, MD, PhD, MHSc, MBA, has been selected as the University of Colorado School of Medicine Dean and Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs for CU Anschutz, effective July 1, 2024. He will bring more than two decades of clinical and academic leadership to the CU School of Medicine, aiming to expand on the transformational tenure of current Dean John J. Reilly, Jr., MD.
Sampson currently serves as the senior vice president of Duke University Health System and the Duke Health Integrated Practice, as well as the Robert H. and Gloria Wilkins Distinguished Professor of Neurosurgery. A prolific researcher, Sampson has authored nearly 300 peer-reviewed publications and held the distinction of being the highest National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded investigator in his field for several consecutive years.
"We are pleased to welcome Dr. Sampson to this vital role, and confident that he will lead with tremendous vision and purpose at a pivotal time in the history of the CU School of Medicine,” said Donald M. Elliman, chancellor of the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus. “His record as a physician, scientist and champion of academic endeavors will lend itself to propelling our school and our campus into our next chapter of innovation and breakthrough.”
Sampson’s appointment comes months after Reilly announced his retirement, following a tenure of nine years in the dual role of School of Medicine dean and vice chancellor for health affairs. Elliman praises Reilly’s forward-thinking leadership, ushering the campus through eras of unprecedented growth and global upheaval.
"We owe a debt of gratitude for Dean Reilly's exceptional leadership over nearly a decade," said Elliman. "Throughout his tenure, we have launched transformational research initiatives spanning disciplines and diseases, and drawn top experts in new and emerging fields to our campus. He ushered in an era of remarkable growth and a meteoric rise in rankings. We are stronger by nearly every measure for his service."
Sampson received his medical degree from the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada, followed by a PhD in neuroimmunology and MHSc in clinical research at Duke University, as well as an MBA from the Fuqua School of Business, also at Duke. He is a member of the National Academy of Medicine as well as the Association of American Physicians.
The University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus is a world-class medical destination at the forefront of transformative science, medicine, education and patient care. The campus encompasses the University of Colorado health professional schools, more than 60 centers and institutes, and two nationally ranked independent hospitals – UCHealth University of Colorado Hospital and Children's Hospital Colorado – which see more than 2 million adult and pediatric patient visits yearly. Innovative, interconnected and highly collaborative, the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus delivers life-changing treatments, patient care and professional training and conducts world-renowned research fueled by $705 million in research grants. For more information, visit www.cuanschutz.edu.