April 14, 2026
Dear MCW Family:
On behalf of the Medical College of Wisconsin Board (MCW) of Trustees, I am pleased to announce that Shekar N. Kurpad, MD, PhD, FEL '01, has been unanimously appointed as MCW’s seventh President and Chief Executive Officer, effective July 1, 2026. Dr. Kurpad currently serves as Professor of Neurosurgery and Senior Associate Dean, Neuroscience in the MCW School of Medicine, and Founding Director of the Wisconsin Institute of NeuroScience (WINS).
Dr. Kurpad succeeds John R. Raymond, Sr., MD, who served as President and CEO from July 1, 2010 – June 30, 2026. As of July 1, 2026, Dr. Raymond will commit his time to MCW as a member of the faculty of the School of Medicine and assist with Dr. Kurpad’s transition into his new executive leadership role.
Dr. Kurpad was selected for this role after a comprehensive national search. I would like to extend the Board’s gratitude to David King, MD, and David Lubar, Co-Chairs of the search committee – as well as to the full committee membership – for their unwavering dedication of time, insights and thoughtfulness in undertaking this critical recruitment effort.
As MCW’s President and CEO, Dr. Kurpad will be charged with advancing a bold strategic vision to drive growth; championing academic and scientific excellence; ensuring the institution’s long-term financial strength, management rigor and operational excellence; and fostering partnerships with MCW’s clinical partners, policymakers, industry leaders and community stakeholders. Dr. Kurpad will work effectively with the Board of Trustees to provide leadership and foster engagement to establish clear institutional strategic priorities; oversee MCW’s senior executive team; and support the recruitment, retention and development of exceptional talent throughout the organization. He also will serve as the institutional leader for philanthropy – sharing MCW’s vision through strategic engagement and building authentic relationships with donors and partners.
Dr. Kurpad is a board-certified neurosurgeon, neuroscientist and transformational academic health leader with more than 20 years of experience in building high‑performing, multi‑institution enterprises. He has demonstrated the ability to unify clinicians and scientists across systems, grow revenue and margin, expand research funding, attract philanthropy and elevate reputation while advancing community health and government engagement.
Since 2022, Dr. Kurpad has served as the Founding Director of the Wisconsin Institute of NeuroScience (WINS), a first-of-its-kind statewide neuroscience enterprise integrating more than 600 clinicians and scientists across MCW, Froedtert ThedaCare, Children’s Wisconsin and the Zablocki VA Medical Center under a unified strategic plan. Through his founding of WINS and leadership across MCW’s health system partners, Dr. Kurpad has built a model for integrated neuroscience excellence – advancing discovery, clinical trials, patient outcomes and institutional reputation in equal measure.
Dr. Kurpad’s contributions to clinical care, research and teaching include nearly 15,000 surgical procedures and more than 150 original research manuscripts that have shaped contemporary spinal cord science and care. Further, Dr. Kurpad has mentored and served as a preceptor for almost 100 medical and graduate students, doctoral candidates, and postdoctoral researchers. Dr. Kurpad is internationally recognized for his pioneering work in spinal cord injury, including leadership in major clinical trials and development of imaging biomarkers.
Across the MCW and Froedtert Health enterprise, Dr. Kurpad has led service lines exceeding $400 million and driven measurable gains in volume, margin, quality and market share. Further, he has spearheaded major philanthropic and government partnerships, including the $12.5 million BRAVE initiative supporting veterans and first responders. As an enterprise strategist, Dr. Kurpad has built integrated neuroscience programs, expanded research funding, established translational research hubs, and cultivated broad civic, business and legislative relationships.
As Senior Associate Dean, Neuroscience in the MCW School of Medicine, Dr. Kurpad provides enterprise oversight of MCW’s neuroscience strategy across basic, translational, and clinical domains. He led the first enterprise‑wide faculty strategic plan linking hiring, mentorship and resource allocation across basic science and clinical departments, launched new neuro‑oncology and neuroimaging programs and catalyzed more than $6 million in growth in active federal and foundation funding to MCW’s portfolio.
Dr. Kurpad previously served as the Sanford J. Larson Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at MCW (2017-2024) and as Chief of Neurosurgery at the Zablocki VA Medical Center for more than a decade. Under his leadership, the department of neurosurgery doubled its size, expanded its clinical and research footprint, and achieved top-decile national performance benchmarks in spine and neurotrauma care. Additionally, Dr. Kurpad established two endowed chairs, grew the spinal neurosurgery fellowship and added a resident research fund.
Dr. Kurpad’s additional roles at MCW have included Co-Director, Center for Neurotrauma Research (2018-2022), Interim and Acting Chair, Department of Neurosurgery (2015-2017) and Chief, Neurosurgical Service, Zablocki VA Medical Center (2002-2015). A fellow of multiple national neurosurgical organizations and an invited examiner for the American Board of Neurological Surgery, Dr. Kurpad continues to advance neuroscience discovery, clinical innovation and leadership development.
Dr. Kurpad received his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1991 from Bangalore Medical College (Bangalore, India) and his Doctor of Philosophy in 1995 from Duke University. From 1995-1996, he was an intern in general surgery at the University Hospitals of Cleveland/Case Western Reserve University and was a resident in neurosurgery from 1996-2001. Dr. Kurpad served three fellowships: skull base neurosurgery (University of Tennessee, 1998); neuro-oncology (University Hospitals of Cleveland/Case Western Reserve University, 2000); and spinal neurosurgery (MCW, 2001). Dr. Kurpad’s early scientific appointments at the National Institutes of Health and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden established the foundation for a career committed to translational neurotrauma and spinal cord injury research.
Please join with me and the Board of Trustees in congratulating Dr. Kurpad on his new executive leadership role at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and in expressing our deep gratitude and appreciation to Dr. Raymond for his valued 16 years of leadership at our institution.
Sincerely,
John Donofrio
Chair, Board of Trustees
Medical College of Wisconsin