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Computational biologist to lead precision medicine institute at Weill Cornell Medicine
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Olivier Elemento, PhD, has been appointed director of the Caryl and Israel Englander Institute for Precision Medicine at Weill Cornell Medicine.
Elemento, a computational biologist who is recognized for his expertise in the fields of computational genomics and biomedicine, will succeed Mark A. Rubin, MD, the institute’s founding director.
Elemento also will lead joint precision medicine efforts at Weill Cornell Medicine and NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.
“As a pioneer in this field and a key driver at the Englander Institute, Dr. Elemento has been committed to harnessing the power of precision medicine to advance scientific discovery, making him the ideal choice for this position,” Augustine M.K. Choi, MD, the Stephen and Suzanne Weiss Dean of Weill Cornell Medicine, said in a press release. “With his leadership, we will continue to enhance precision medicine efforts at Weill Cornell Medicine, not only changing the way we approach research and clinical care, but also providing hope and the best treatment for each patient.”
The Englander Institute, founded in 2015, is designed to foster research that uses genomic sequencing, informatics and other technologies to uncover the molecular roots of disease.
Elemento has been a core member of the Englander Institute since its inception. He most recently served as director of its computational biology group, which uses artificial intelligence and data analytics to analyze and interpret cancer genomes and identify driver mutations to help inform treatment decisions.
In his new role, he will help institute investigators expand their research focus and apply the precision medicine methodology they have developed for cancer to other research areas, such as lung disease, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and neurological disease.
“For me, this role is an opportunity to make an impact on research and healthcare,” Elemento said in the release. “I see a lot of potential in using precision medicine to target a variety of diseases, so it’s very exciting to be able to help shape how these approaches will improve patient care.”