Leadership

John H. Sampson, MD, PhD, MHSc, MBA

Vice Chancellor for Health Affairs and Dean CU School of Medicine

John H. Sampson, MD, PhD, MHSc, MBA, joined CU in July 2024 after serving as senior vice president for Duke University Health System and Duke Health Integrated Practice in Durham, North Carolina, leading thousands of medical faculty, community physicians, psychologists and advanced practice providers who together compose the university's clinical team.

A neurosurgeon by training, he held the Robert H. and Gloria Wilkins Distinguished Professorship in Neurosurgery, served as the inaugural chair of the Duke Department of Neurosurgery, and has a clinical focus on advancing new therapies for brain tumors and other diseases of the nervous system.

Dr. Sampson is an accomplished physician-scientist and member of the National Academy of Medicine whose career has spanned clinical practice, research, education and organizational leadership. An accomplished scholar, he has authored nearly 300 peer-reviewed publications and long stood as a highly funded investigator in his field with substantial grant awards from the National Institutes of Health. He leads several entrepreneurial ventures and holds board appointments for health systems, foundations and companies focused on innovation in health and medicine.

His training began with a medical degree in his home country of Canada, followed by a doctorate in neuroimmunology and a master’s of health science in clinical research at Duke University. After research training in neuro-oncology, Dr. Sampson took an interest in health sector management, furthering his education with a master’s in business administration from Duke’s Fuqua School of Business.

Senior Associate Deans