Dr. Anthony N. Hollenberg

On February 1, 2018, Anthony N. Hollenberg, MD, a physician-scientist specializing in endocrinology, joined Weill Cornell as Chairman of the Joan and Sanford I. Weill Department of Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine and Physician-in-Chief at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center. Dr. Hollenberg will lead the institutions’ largest clinical and academic department, with oversight for 16 divisions and nearly 2,600 physicians and scientists.

Most recently, Dr. Hollenberg served as Chief of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes and Metabolism and Vice Chair for Mentoring in the Department of Medicine at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Boston. There, he also directed Clinical and Translational Training Programs at Harvard Catalyst, the Clinical and Translational Science Center at Harvard Medical School.

“It’s an enormous honor to be selected for this position,” says Dr. Hollenberg. “Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian have nurtured an incredible culture for excellence in science and medicine, which is reflected in the exemplary nature of their entire biomedical enterprise and the resources the institutions provide for innovation. I consider it a privilege to take on these roles, and I’m thrilled about this opportunity.”

A Focus on Research

As Chairman of Medicine, Dr. Hollenberg will build upon the department’s leading voice in medicine and science. “My goal is to build the most outstanding Department of Medicine that excels in its tripartite mission of exceptional clinical care and education, and world-class research, ensuring excellence in basic, clinical, and translational work,” he says.

Dr. Hollenberg plans on leveraging the institutions’ reach to foster new opportunities for scientific discovery and strengthen existing collaborations between investigators at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian and their colleagues at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, The Rockefeller University, and Hospital for Special Surgery, as well as Cornell University campuses in Ithaca and on Roosevelt Island. The Weill Department of Medicine is a hub for cutting-edge biomedical research, with total research grants exceeding $44 million in 2016.

“The beauty of a department of medicine,” says Dr. Hollenberg, “is that by providing such unparalleled care for a wide variety of people, both inside and outside the hospital, you really get to identify the major complex issues that need to be solved scientifically, from a policy level all the way to an experiment in the lab.”

An accomplished basic and translational researcher, Dr. Hollenberg uses findings gleaned from his basic science research to help his patients, who further inform his work in the lab. His own research is in the area of thyroid disorders. He is pursuing studies in the physiological and molecular underpinnings of metabolism, with a particular focus on understanding how thyroid hormones regulate metabolism and lipid levels and affect body weight. Additionally, his lab is establishing protocols to develop functioning thyroid tissue from embryonic stem cells and investigating regenerative therapy for hypothyroidism. Recent investigations include studies into the pluripotent stem cell differentiation that reveal distinct developmental pathways regulating lung- versus thyroid-lineage specification and the actions of thyroid hormone signaling in the nucleus.

With a long-standing commitment to teaching and mentoring, one of Dr. Hollenberg’s top priorities will center on fostering emerging talent. “I’m committed to supporting the next generation of young investigators,” he says, “making sure that the best trainees who come to Weill Cornell and NewYork-Presbyterian are able to stay and develop into outstanding investigators.”

“Dr. Hollenberg is an esteemed physician-scientist, educator, and a proven leader, and we are thrilled he has joined us as Chairman of the Weill Department of Medicine,” says Augustine M.K. Choi, MD, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine. “Under his direction, the department will continue to cultivate and attract top talent in academic medicine and research, advancing our mission of scientific discovery and our world-class reputation for clinical, research, and educational excellence.”

The Weill Department of Medicine is a hub for cutting-edge biomedical research, with total research grants exceeding $44 million in 2016.

A native of Toronto, Dr. Hollenberg received his bachelor’s degree in biochemical sciences from Harvard College and his medical degree from the University of Calgary, Canada. He completed an internal medicine residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center – rising to chief medical resident – as well as a clinical and research fellowship in endocrinology, diabetes and metabolism at Massachusetts General Hospital.

Dr. Hollenberg is a member of the American Thyroid Association, the Endocrine Society, and the American Diabetes Association. He has published more than 80 studies in journals and contributed 25 book chapters and reviews, and currently serves as associate editor of the journal Endocrinology. Dr. Hollenberg’s awards and honors include the Van Meter Award from the American Thyroid Association and election to the American Association of Physicians.