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Dr. Matthew E. Fink, a leader in stroke and critical care neurology, has been named chairman of the Department of Neurology at Weill Cornell Medical College and neurologist-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

Dr. Fink has served as interim chairman of Neurology and Neuroscience at Weill Cornell and interim neurologist-in-chief at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell since 2008. He also serves as chief of the Division of Stroke and Critical Care Neurology at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell.

"With his strong leadership, Dr. Fink will continue to advance our neurological patient care, already in a position of high stature, to even greater heights," says Dr. Laurie H. Glimcher, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medical College. "As the chairman of Neurology, Dr. Fink will maintain and expand our prominent neurological clinical research enterprise and clinical care by increasing collaborations across departments and our institutions, while recruiting and training the next generation of leading neurologists."

"Thanks to Dr. Fink's leadership and dedication, neurology at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell is on the forefront of delivering innovative neurological care to our patients," says Dr. Steven J. Corwin, CEO of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital. "Dr. Fink is committed to fostering the vital collaborations needed between clinicians and researchers so that we can accelerate the development of new, effective, and patient-centered treatment solutions for devastating neurological conditions."

Ranked eighth nationally in National Institutes of Health research funding, the Department of Neurology at Weill Cornell Medical College and NewYork-Presbyterian is considered one of the premier academic neurology departments in the world. Weill Cornell physician-scientists have a long history of groundbreaking work, from the first clinical trial of gene therapy for Parkinson's disease to the world's first successful use of deep brain stimulation to treat a minimally conscious brain-injured patient. A large number of current chairs of neurology in departments across North America were trained at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell. U.S.News & World Report ranks NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital fourth in the nation and first in New York for neurology and neurological surgery care.

"It is an extraordinary honor to be named chairman of the Department of Neurology at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, which has such a long, prestigious history," says Dr. Fink, who is also professor of clinical neurology at Weill Cornell. "Neurology at Weill Cornell and NewYork-Presbyterian is highly respected worldwide, and I plan to expand and advance our mission of discovery for more effective novel and innovative diagnostics and clinical treatments for neurological diseases. Also, neurology needs more basic science research, and I look forward to working closely with our leading neuroscientists to speed our progress toward novel therapeutics and cures." Under Dr. Fink's leadership, neurology patient care at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell has been growing at a rapid pace, with expansion of clinical programs for stroke, multiple sclerosis, neuro-oncology, Alzheimer's disease and movement disorders. Neurology plans to continue to expand in all of its fundamental missions — treating patients with neurologic disorders, performing clinical research and teaching medical students and residents in neurology. The department provides premier general and specialty neurology care and its clinical faculty includes general neurologists as well as specialty neurologists who have advanced clinical training in their subspecialty. Set within state-of-the-art facilities, the Department of Neurology offers cutting-edge diagnostic and therapeutic clinical services.

Dr. Fink received his undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania and his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh. He served as resident and chief resident in internal medicine at the Boston City Hospital. He came to New York City and trained in neurology at the Neurological Institute of NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, where he served as chief resident. He then joined the faculty of Columbia University, became the founding director of the Neurology-Neurosurgery Intensive Care Unit at NewYork-Presbyterian/Columbia and was appointed associate professor of clinical neurology and neurosurgery at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

Prior to joining the faculty of NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell, Dr. Fink served as president and chief executive officer of Beth Israel Medical Center in New York, as well as chairman of its Barbara and Alan Mirken Department of Neurology, director of the Comprehensive Stroke Center and co-director of the Hyman-Newman Institute for Neurology and Neurosurgery. He also served as professor of clinical neurology and clinical medicine at the Albert Einstein College of Medicine of Yeshiva University.

Dr. Fink is board certified in internal medicine, neurology, critical care medicine, vascular neurology and neurocritical care. He was a founding member and chairman of the Critical Care Section of the American Academy of Neurology and the Research Section for Neurocritical Care of the World Federation of Neurology. He is a past president of the New York Neurological Society and was recently elected to fellowship in both the American Academy of Neurology and the American Heart Association. Throughout his career, Dr. Fink has been involved in the education and training of students, residents and fellows in the field of stroke and critical care neurology, as well as an active participant in clinical research within this field. He has lectured widely and published many research and clinical articles.

Weill Cornell Medical College

Weill Cornell Medical College, Cornell University's medical school located in New York City, is committed to excellence in research, teaching, patient care and the advancement of the art and science of medicine, locally, nationally and globally. Physicians and scientists of Weill Cornell Medical College are engaged in cutting-edge research from bench to bedside, aimed at unlocking mysteries of the human body in health and sickness and toward developing new treatments and prevention strategies. In its commitment to global health and education, Weill Cornell has a strong presence in places such as Qatar, Tanzania, Haiti, Brazil, Austria and Turkey. Through the historic Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar, the Medical College is the first in the U.S. to offer its M.D. degree overseas. Weill Cornell is the birthplace of many medical advances — including the development of the Pap test for cervical cancer, the synthesis of penicillin, the first successful embryo-biopsy pregnancy and birth in the U.S., the first clinical trial of gene therapy for Parkinson's disease, and most recently, the world's first successful use of deep brain stimulation to treat a minimally conscious brain-injured patient. Weill Cornell Medical College is affiliated with NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital, where its faculty provides comprehensive patient care at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center. The Medical College is also affiliated with the Methodist Hospital in Houston. For more information, visit weill.cornell.edu.

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center

NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Weill Cornell Medical Center, located in New York City, is one of the leading academic medical centers in the world, comprising the teaching hospital NewYork-Presbyterian and Weill Cornell Medical College, the medical school of Cornell University. NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell provides state-of-the-art inpatient, ambulatory and preventive care in all areas of medicine, and is committed to excellence in patient care, education, research and community service. Weill Cornell physician-scientists have been responsible for many medical advances— including the development of the Pap test for cervical cancer; the synthesis of penicillin; the first successful embryo-biopsy pregnancy and birth in the U.S.; the first clinical trial for gene therapy for Parkinson's disease; the first indication of bone marrow's critical role in tumor growth; and, most recently, the world's first successful use of deep brain stimulation to treat a minimally conscious brain-injured patient. NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital also comprises NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center, NewYork-Presbyterian/Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital/Westchester Division and NewYork-Presbyterian/The Allen Hospital. NewYork-Presbyterian is the #1 hospital in the New York metropolitan area and is consistently ranked among the best academic medical institutions in the nation, according to U.S.News & World Report. Weill Cornell Medical College is the first U.S. medical college to offer a medical degree overseas and maintains a strong global presence in Austria, Brazil, Haiti, Tanzania, Turkey and Qatar. For more information, visit www.nyp.org.