Brett Kissela, MD, GME '96, MS, Named the Julia A. Uihlein, MA, Dean of the School of Medicine and Executive Vice President for Health Affairs at the Medical College of Wisconsin

I am pleased to inform you that Brett Kissela, MD, GME ’96, MS, has been named the Julia A. Uihlein Dean of the School of Medicine and Executive Vice President for Health Affairs at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), effective September 1, 2026. Dr. Kissela currently serves as Executive Vice Dean of the University of Cincinnati (UC) College of Medicine and Professor of Neurology, Senior Associate Dean for Clinical Research, Chief of Research Services for UC Health, and Director of the UC Gardner Neuroscience Institute at the University of Cincinnati Medical Center.

Dr. Kissela succeeds Deborah Costakos, MD ’98, MS, who has served as Dean of the School of Medicine since January 1, 2025. Dr. Costakos plans to retire following more than 17 years of valued service to MCW including as Interim Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences (2019-2020) and Department Chair (2020-2024).

Dr. Kissela was selected for this role after a comprehensive national search. I would like to extend my gratitude to Allison Ebert, PhD, and Jon Lehrmann, MD, Co-Chairs of the Search Committee – as well as to the full committee membership – for their dedication of time, leadership and thoughtfulness in undertaking this critical recruitment effort. I also would like to express my thanks and appreciation to the hundreds of MCW faculty, staff and students who attended the vision seminars and provided valuable feedback on the three finalists.

Key priorities for Dr. Kissela as Dean of the MCW School of Medicine and Executive Vice President for Health Affairs include setting and executing a bold strategic vision for the School of Medicine that advances shared goals of MCW and its affiliate partners; advancing research excellence amid an evolving landscape; ensuring educational excellence across the continuum; championing financial sustainability and resource stewardship; and deepening community impact and statewide engagement. Equally important, Dr. Kissela will help MCW to attract, retain and develop exceptional talent, address faculty and staff morale through transparent communication and create an inclusive environment where diverse perspectives drive innovation and excellence.

Dr. Kissela will report to me and will collaborate closely with the Provost on research operations, new program development and space allocation, and with the Deans of MCW’s School of Pharmacy and School of Graduate Studies to advance interdisciplinary initiatives and ensure alignment of missions across our three Schools. Further, Dr. Kissela will directly oversee MCW’s clinical and basic science department chairs, the physician practice plans, the campus dean of Green Bay and Central Wisconsin, and several Institute and Center directors, and will supervise senior associate deans to ensure alignment with MCW's evolving strategic priorities.

Throughout his career as a neurologist, stroke epidemiologist, and clinician‑scientist, Dr. Kissela has operated at the intersection of academic strategy and health‑system execution – building alignment across education, research and clinical operations while maintaining a sustained national scholarly and service footprint. His leadership roles have focused on building high‑performing teams, strengthening governance and delivering measurable outcomes in complex, matrixed environments.

In his current executive positions, Dr. Kissela has led a comprehensive transformation of the clinical research enterprise – modernizing infrastructure and streamlining operations to enhance the investigator experience and accelerate study startup. This effort has reduced median trial activation time from more than 200 days to fewer than 90 business days, expanded the active clinical trial portfolio to more than 700 trials, increased clinical trial revenue by 74 percent, and driven significant growth in sponsored and NIH funding (to $246 million and $106.4 million, respectively, in 2025).

Simultaneously, Dr. Kissela has helped align academic and health system priorities through strategic planning and governance, including co-leading the UC College of Medicine’s strategic plan (research pillar) and chaired its LCME Continuous Quality Improvement Committee. He also has a strong record of financial stewardship and resource development – leading the UC College of Medicine’s budget process, co-leading a health system financial improvement workstream that delivered more than $60 million in bottom‑line improvements, and partnering in philanthropic efforts that raised more than $100 million for the neurosciences.

Dr. Kissela has a long-standing record of NIH-funded, multi-PI projects, including participation in major population-based and translational programs and leadership roles in clinical and translational science infrastructure. His research has focused on causes, outcomes and recovery of stroke. He has a special interest in the impact of diabetes on stroke, as well as factors that influence stroke outcomes, and participates in a variety of stroke recovery projects.

Dr. Kissela’s scholarly work reflects sustained contributions to stroke epidemiology and outcomes, and translating discoveries into practice. He has authored almost 300 peer-reviewed publications and 22 book chapters/reviews, and participated in 130 invited lectures and presentations. Dr. Kissela possesses a strong commitment to learner education, having mentored more than 230 resident and fellow trainees in adult and child neurology and vascular neurology/interventional neurology/neuro-critical care.

Nationally, Dr. Kissela has served on the American Academy of Neurology’s (AAN) Board of Directors, and currently chairs its AI workgroup – demonstrating his interest in and commitment to responsibly integrating AI into academic medicine across all missions. Dr. Kissela also serves as the Secretary/Treasurer of the AAN Institute, which governs the public, charitable and educational affiliate of the AAN. He has received numerous honors such as the Daniel Drake Medal (UC College of Medicine’s highest honor) and the American Heart Association’s Creighton B. Wright Leadership Award.

Dr. Kissela graduated from Marquette University with a Bachelor of Science degree (magna cum laude) in biochemistry/molecular biology in 1991. He received his medical degree from Washington University School of Medicine in 1995, served an internship in internal medicine at the Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals (1995-96), a residency in neurology at the University of Michigan Medical Center (1996-99), and a fellowship in cerebrovascular disease at UC Medical Center (1999-2000). He was a fellow with the Association of American Medical Colleges’ (AAMC) Council of Deans, Class of 2020. Additionally, Dr. Kissela earned a Master of Science degree in epidemiology from the University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Department of Environmental Health, in 2009.

Dr. Kissela began his career at the University of Cincinnati in 1999 as a clinical instructor of Neurology. In 2000 he became a neurologist for the University of Cincinnati Neuroscience Institute and the assistant director of medical education for the Department of Neurology. He has since held positions such as co-director of the vascular neurology fellowship, vice-chair of graduate medical education and hospital services, residency director for the Department of Neurology, and vice-chair of education and clinical service for the Department of Neurology at the UC College of Medicine.

During his lifetime, Dr. Kissela has been honored with membership to Alpha Omega Alpha National Medical Honor Society and Phi Beta Kappa. He also has been awarded the Clarence and Mildred Long Lectureship in Cerebrovascular Disease at Indiana University, the Cincinnati Business Courier's “Forty Under 40 Award,” and the Michael S. Pessin Stroke Leadership Prize from the American Academy of Neurology. His professional memberships include the American Heart Association, Stroke Council, Fellow American Academy of Neurology and the Fellow American Neurological Association.

Dr. Kissela will be locating to the Milwaukee area with his wife, Lorie (who was born and raised in Brookfield, Wis.), and their dogs, Kola and Kobi. The Kisselas have three children: Nicole, 32, a behavioral health social worker in Cincinnati; Emily, 31, a private childcare professional in Chicago who is married to Colin, 31, a retail strategic consultant; and Nathan, 23, a recruitment consultant at an executive search agency in New York City.

I am confident that Dr. Kissela will successfully navigate the complexity of academic health centers, foster alignment across multiple constituencies and build the infrastructure and leadership necessary to position the School of Medicine for sustained excellence.

Please join with me in congratulating Dr. Kissela on his new executive leadership role at the Medical College of Wisconsin, and in expressing our deep gratitude and appreciation to Dr. Costakos for her exceptional leadership as outgoing Dean of the School of Medicine and former Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Sciences.

Sincerely,

Shekar N. Kurpad, MD, PhD
President and CEO-Designate
Medical College of Wisconsin