Dean Mark Anderson, MD, PhD, Dean of the UChicago Biological Sciences Division

Mark E. Anderson, MD, PhD, is a globally recognized physician-scientist and academic leader who has served as Dean of the Biological Sciences Division and the Pritzker School of Medicine and Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs at the University of Chicago since 2022. In these roles, he spearheads one of the nation’s premier academic health enterprises, integrating pioneering biomedical research, transformative medical education, and world-class clinical care to advance discovery, improve health, and expand access to care across Chicago’s South Side and beyond.

Dr. Anderson led the development of Elevate 2035, the first unified strategic plan spanning each part of the academic health and research organization: the Biological Sciences Division, the Pritzker School of Medicine, and the UChicago Medicine health system. The strategy aligns research, education, and clinical care to accelerate scientific discovery, cultivate future physicians and scientists, and expand access to high-quality healthcare.

Under his leadership, UChicago Medicine has experienced extraordinary growth and transformation. Since FY2019, operating revenue has more than doubled to $5.6 billion as the health system expanded its reach across Chicago and the western suburbs and in Northwest Indiana. Dr. Anderson is also overseeing the construction of the AbbVie Foundation Cancer Pavilion, a 575,000-square-foot, seven-story facility that will become Illinois’ first freestanding cancer care and research facility when it opens in April 2027. In addition, he helped advance the development of laboratory space at Hyde Park Labs, a new commercial facility on Chicago’s South Side designed to accelerate scientific discovery and biomedical entrepreneurship.

A pioneering researcher in cardiovascular medicine, Dr. Anderson is known for his seminal work on the role of an enzyme called calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII) in cardiac arrhythmias and heart failure — leading causes of sudden cardiac death worldwide. His discoveries about CaMKII’s molecular mechanisms have opened new avenues to treat heart disease while preserving critical brain functions.

Before joining the University of Chicago, Dr. Anderson served as Director of the Department of Medicine, William Osler Professor of Medicine, and Physician-in-Chief at The Johns Hopkins Hospital, where he led one of the nation’s most distinguished academic medical departments. His prior leadership roles include chairing the Department of Internal Medicine and directing the Cardiovascular Research Center at the University of Iowa, as well as key faculty positions at Vanderbilt University.

Dr. Anderson earned a Bachelor of Arts in Biology with honors from Macalester College and a Doctor of Medicine and a Doctor of Philosophy in Physiology from the University of Minnesota. He completed his residency in internal medicine, postdoctoral research training, and fellowships in cardiology and clinical cardiac electrophysiology at Stanford University. He is an elected member of the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the Association of American Physicians, and the National Academy of Medicine.