Prof Victor J Dzau (Chairman)

Professor Victor J. Dzau is the President of US National Academy of Medicine (NAM) and Vice Chair of US National Research Council. He is Chancellor Emeritus and James B. Duke Distinguished Professor of Medicine at Duke University and former CEO of the Duke University Health System. Previously, Dr. Dzau was Hersey Professor and Chairman of Medicine at Harvard Medical School as well as Bloomfield Professor and Chairman of Medicine at Stanford University.

He is an internationally acclaimed leader and physician scientist who has made a significant impact through his seminal research in cardiovascular medicine and genetics. His important work on the renin angiotensin and vascular biology paved the way for the contemporary understanding of cardiovascular disease. He pioneered gene therapy for vascular disease and was the first to introduce DNA decoy molecules as gene therapy in humans.

Professor Dzau serves as the inaugural president of NAM and led its transition from the Institute of Medicine. At NAM, he leads a strategy of innovation, action and equity. He designed and led important initiatives such as the Global Health Risk Framework; Human Genome Editing; Emerging Science, Technology and Innovation; and the Grand Challenge in Climate Change and Human Health & Equity; and Redefining Academic Medicine.

Professor Dzau has served on the Advisory Committee to the NIH Director and as former chair of the Cardiovascular Disease Advisory Committee. Currently, he chairs the NHLBI Progenitor Cell Translational Consortium. He has played a critical role in initiating the Qatar Genome Project and recently Qatar Precision Medicine Institute serving as the chair of the Scientific Advisory Boards. He also serves on Precision Medicine Scotland Expert Advisory Group and Steering Group for the Science & Innovation Audit. Previously, he chaired the World Economic Forum’s Global Agenda Council on Precision Medicine, and served on the Institute of Medicine Roundtable on Genomics and Precision Health.

Professor Dzau has been actively involved with Singapore, having led the formation of Duke NUS School of Medicine in 2005. He serves on the International Advisory Council of Health and Biomedical Sciences and the Academic Medicine Advisory Council of SingHealth and Duke NUS. He has served on the Board of Singapore Health Services Pte Ltd. In 2019, he was named an Honorary Citizen of Singapore.