Medical College of Wisconsin: Announces president and CEO

Shekar N. Kurpad, MD, PhD, FEL ‘01, Unanimously Named MCW’s Seventh Leader, Effective July 1, 2026

Milwaukee – April 14, 2026 – The Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) today announced that Shekar N. Kurpad, MD, PhD, FEL ‘01, has been unanimously appointed as the institution’s seventh president and chief executive officer (CEO), effective July 1, 2026. Dr. Kurpad currently serves as professor of Neurosurgery and senior associate dean, Neuroscience in the MCW School of Medicine, and founding director of the Wisconsin Institute of NeuroScience (WINS).

Dr. Kurpad succeeds John R. Raymond, Sr., MD, who has served as MCW’s president and CEO since July 1, 2010, and will conclude his term on June 30, 2026. As of July 1, 2026, Dr. Raymond will commit his time to MCW as a member of the faculty of the School of Medicine and assist with Dr. Kurpad’s transition into his new executive leadership role.

“Dr. Kurpad was selected following a comprehensive national search and brings a proven record of leadership, innovation and impact,” 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 our patient care, research, education and community engagement missions.”

As president and CEO, Dr. Kurpad will lead MCW’s bold strategic vision to drive growth; champion academic and scientific excellence; ensure the institution’s long-term financial strength; and foster partnerships with MCW’s clinical partners, policymakers, industry leaders and community stakeholders. He will also be a strategic partner in further advancing philanthropy – sharing MCW’s vision and building authentic relationships. Dr. Kurpad is a board-certified neurosurgeon, neuroscientist and transformational academic health leader with more than 20 years of experience in building high-performing, multi-institution enterprises. He has demonstrated the ability to unify clinicians and scientists across systems, grow revenue and margin, expand research funding, attract philanthropy and elevate reputation, while advancing community health and government engagement.

Since 2022, Dr. Kurpad has served as the founding director of WINS, a first-of-its-kind statewide neuroscience enterprise integrating more than 600 clinicians and scientists across MCW, Froedtert ThedaCare, Children’s Wisconsin and the Zablocki VA Medical Center under a unified strategic plan. Through his founding of WINS and leadership across MCW’s health system partners, Dr. Kurpad has built a model for integrated neuroscience excellence – advancing discovery, clinical trials, patient outcomes and institutional reputation in equal measure.

Dr. Kurpad’s contributions to clinical care, research and teaching include nearly 15,000 surgical procedures and more than 150 original research manuscripts that have shaped contemporary spinal cord science and care. Further, Dr. Kurpad has mentored and served as a preceptor for almost 100 medical and graduate students, doctoral candidates and postdoctoral researchers. Dr. Kurpad is internationally recognized for his pioneering work in spinal cord injury, including leadership in major clinical trials and development of imaging biomarkers.

Across the MCW and Froedtert Health enterprise, Dr. Kurpad has led service lines exceeding $400 million and driven measurable gains in volume, margin, quality and market share. Further, he has spearheaded major philanthropic and government partnerships, including the $12.5 million BRAVE (Building Resilience through Action in VEterans and first responders) program supporting veterans and first responders. As an enterprise strategist, Dr. Kurpad has built integrated neuroscience programs, expanded research funding, established translational research hubs and cultivated broad civic, business and legislative relationships.

As senior associate dean, Neuroscience in the School of Medicine, Dr. Kurpad provides enterprise oversight of MCW’s neuroscience strategy across basic, translational and clinical domains. He led the first enterprise-wide faculty strategic plan linking hiring, mentorship and resource allocation across basic science and clinical departments; launched new neuro-oncology and neuroimaging programs; and catalyzed more than $6 million in growth in active federal and foundation funding to MCW’s portfolio.

Dr. Kurpad previously served as the Sanford J. Larson Professor and Chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at MCW (2017-2024) and as chief of Neurosurgery at the Zablocki VA Medical Center for more than a decade. Under his leadership, the Department of Neurosurgery doubled its size, expanded its clinical and research footprint, and achieved top-decile national performance benchmarks in spine and neurotrauma care. Additionally, Dr. Kurpad established two endowed chairs, grew the spinal neurosurgery fellowship and added a resident research fund for department sustainability.

Dr. Kurpad’s additional roles at MCW have included co-director, Center for Neurotrauma Research (2018-2022), interim and acting chair, Department of Neurosurgery (2015-2017) and chief, Neurosurgical Service, Zablocki VA Medical Center (2002-2015).

A fellow of multiple national neurosurgical organizations and an invited examiner for the American Board of Neurological Surgery, Dr. Kurpad continues to advance neuroscience discovery, clinical innovation and leadership development.

Dr. Kurpad received his Doctor of Medicine degree in 1991 from Bangalore Medical College (Bangalore, India) and his Doctor of Philosophy in 1995 from Duke University. From 1995-1996, he was an intern in general surgery at the University Hospitals of Cleveland/Case Western Reserve University and was a resident in neurosurgery from 1996-2001. Dr. Kurpad also served three fellowships: skull base neurosurgery (University of Tennessee, 1998); neuro-oncology (University Hospitals of Cleveland/Case Western Reserve University, 2000); and spinal neurosurgery (MCW, 2001). Dr. Kurpad’s early scientific appointments at the National Institutes of Health and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden established the foundation for a career committed to translational neurotrauma and spinal cord injury research.

“We are deeply grateful to Dr. Raymond for his remarkable leadership and enduring impact on MCW. Throughout his 16 years of valued service, he strengthened MCW’s national reputation, expanded our academic and research enterprise and reinforced our commitment to improving health across the communities we serve,” said Donofrio. “His vision, integrity and unwavering dedication have positioned MCW for a strong and promising future.”