In a move signaling a focus on clinical excellence and transformational leadership, the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) has appointed Indian American neurosurgeon Shekar N. Kurpad as its seventh president and chief executive officer.
Effective July 1, 2026, Kurpad will take the helm of the state’s largest private academic research institution. He succeeds Dr. John R. Raymond, Sr., who has led the college for 16 years and will transition to a faculty role.
Kurpad’s journey to the executive office of a premier American medical institution began in India. A native of Bangalore, he earned his medical degree in 1991 from Bangalore Medical College (now Bangalore Medical College and Research Institute). This foundational education in one of India’s most rigorous medical environments set the stage for a prolific career in the United States.
After relocating to the U.S., he pursued a dual path of clinical and scientific mastery, obtaining a PhD from Duke University before completing his neurosurgery residency at Case Western Reserve University.
His ties to India remain a cornerstone of his professional identity; he has frequently returned to the subcontinent as a keynote speaker for the Neurological Society of India and as a visiting professor at the Christian Medical College in Vellore.
“Dr. Kurpad brings a proven record of leadership and innovation,” said John Donofrio, chair of the MCW Board of Trustees. “He is uniquely positioned to guide MCW forward, building on our strong foundation while advancing academic medicine through patient care, research, and community engagement.”
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Since joining the MCW faculty in 2002, Kurpad has established himself as a heavyweight in the field of spinal cord injury and neurotrauma. As the Sanford J. Larson Professor and former chair of the Department of Neurosurgery, he oversaw a period of dramatic expansion where the department doubled in size.
Currently serving as the founding director of the Wisconsin Institute of NeuroScience (WINS), Kurpad has demonstrated a unique ability to bridge the gap between complex laboratory research and bedside patient care. Under his direction, WINS integrated hundreds of clinicians and scientists across various healthcare systems to streamline neurological treatment.
As president, Kurpad will oversee more than 1,600 students and a sprawling research enterprise across campuses in Milwaukee, Green Bay, and Central Wisconsin. His mandate includes steering the institution’s financial health and deepening partnerships with clinical affiliates.
For the Indian American community, Kurpad’s appointment represents a significant milestone, placing a Bangalore-trained physician at the apex of American academic medicine. His leadership is expected to further MCW’s reputation as a hub for both global talent and local community impact.