Yaron Tomer,  M.D., has been named the Marilyn and Stanley M. Katz Dean at Einstein and assumed his new role on Oct. 2. As dean, Dr. Tomer will lead more than 1,900 full-time faculty, further advancing Einstein’s mission of state-of-the-art research, education, diversity, community engagement, and philanthropy. Under Dr. Tomer’s guidance Einstein will continue its national leadership in biomedical research while offering one of the nation’s largest programs for medical education.

“Dr. Tomer stood out for his deep background in basic-science research, bench-to-bedside care, and commitment to Einstein’s mission to prepare a diverse body of students to become knowledgeable and compassionate physicians and innovative scientific investigators,” says Philip O. Ozuah, M.D., Ph.D., president and chief executive officer, Montefiore Medicine. “He comes to this position at a critical time, as the next generation of physicians and scientists will face an ever-changing and challenging landscape. His leadership will foster an environment that will prepare students and faculty to make lasting contributions to science.”

Emphasis on Innovation

Prior to his appointment, Dr. Tomer served as chair of the department of medicine at Einstein and Montefiore and was the Anita and Jack Saltz Professor in Diabetes Research. As department chair, he led more than 700 full-time faculty members. 

His lifelong emphasis on innovation yielded significant growth in the department’s research with the recruitment of new faculty and an increase in National Institutes of Health (NIH) funding to $66 million in 2022 (ranked no. 27 by the Blue Ridge Institute for Medical Research, an independent nonprofit that publishes its annual list based on NIH support). 

Dr. Tomer is especially committed to fostering the careers of junior faculty; currently, the department of medicine has 18 NIH grants for early-career scientists (also known as K-series awards). Dr. Tomer also launched the department of medicine’s strategic plan for diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI), recruiting an inaugural associate chair for DEI to oversee its implementation. During the COVID-19 pandemic Dr. Tomer successfully led the department’s response to the unprecedented crisis.

Upon accepting the position as dean, Dr. Tomer said, “I am honored and humbled by the confidence the Board has expressed in my leadership. Over the course of my tenure at Einstein, I’ve had the opportunity to see, firsthand, the impact our students and faculty have had in transforming communities and advancing science. I am fully committed to building a more diverse physician workforce that reflects the fabric of our society, and to our shared cause of social medicine and social justice.”

World-Renowned Researcher

Before joining Montefiore Einstein as chair of medicine in 2016, Dr. Tomer served as vice chair for research, division chief of endocrinology, and the Lillian and Henry M. Stratton Professor of Molecular Medicine, all at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai in New York.

“Dr. Tomer’s life’s work and his international reputation will strengthen Einstein’s place as a destination for the world’s brightest faculty and students,”  says Ruth L. Gottesman, Ed.D., chair of Einstein’s Board of Trustees. “The Board is honored that Dr. Tomer has chosen to continue his work with Montefiore Einstein by leading our great medical school.” 

Dr. Tomer is a world-renowned researcher with a robust, NIH-funded laboratory. He is the recipient of several awards recognizing his research accomplishments, including the prestigious 2023 Sidney H. Ingbar award from the American Thyroid Association.

Born and raised in Israel, Dr. Tomer graduated magna cum laude from the Sackler School of Medicine in Tel Aviv. He trained in medicine and endocrinology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai.