James C. Tsai, MD, MBA, a world-renowned physician-scientist with a research focus on glaucoma, has been named President of New York Eye and Ear Infirmary of Mount Sinai (NYEE) and Chair of Ophthalmology of the Mount Sinai Health System. As President, Dr. Tsai says his main goals will be raising the visibility of NYEE to referring physicians, and ensuring that it is known as an international center of excellence in residency and fellowship training in ophthalmology and otolaryngology.

Dr. Tsai previously held the position of Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology and Visual Science at Yale School of Medicine, and Chief of Ophthalmology at Yale-New Haven Hospital.

Last year, when NYEE became part of the Mount Sinai Health System and Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, it paved the way for NYEE to grow as a “true center of excellence for advancing science and clinical care in ophthalmology, otolaryngology, and plastic surgery,” says Dr. Tsai.

“At New York Eye and Ear you have unrivaled clinical excellence. And at Icahn School of Medicine, you have an institution that has a long history of excellence in basic science, and research funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH), that now has the patient volume to do large clinical trials. That is very exciting.”

Founded in 1820, as the first and longest operating specialty hospital in the United States, NYEE is one of the nation’s busiest eye, ear, nose, and throat surgery hospitals, managing more than 32,000 surgical cases and 285,000 outpatient visits annually. Mount Sinai’s Ophthalmology Department has been treating patients and publishing seminal papers on cutting-edge research since the mid-1880s.

One of Dr. Tsai’s most pressing concerns is making sure there is additional space and capacity to satisfy increased patient demand for NYEE’s services. He also plans to work closely with the Department of Pathology to reinvigorate pathology and laboratory services at NYEE, as well as with the Departments of Otolaryngology and Plastic Surgery to focus on advancing innovations in facial plastic surgery. Dr. Tsai has also had discussions with the Department of Neurology and The Friedman Brain Institute to jointly recruit leading doctors and scientists into the revolutionary fields of neuroscience and neuroregeneration.

Dr. Tsai earned his Medical Degree from Stanford University School of Medicine, and his MBA from Vanderbilt University. He currently serves as Chair of the Glaucoma Subcommittee of the National Eye Health Education Program Planning Committee of the NIH, Chair of the American Academy of Ophthalmology’s Global Ophthalmic News & Education Network Advisory Board, and Chair of the Medical Advisory Board of the Glaucoma Foundation.

Joining Dr. Tsai in new leadership positions at NYEE are Allan Fine, who will serve as Executive Vice President and Chief Strategy and Operations Officer; Paul A. Sidoti, MD, Deputy Chair for Clinical Affairs in the Department of Ophthalmology for the Mount Sinai Health System and Icahn School of Medicine; Salvatore Loiacono Jr., MPA, Vice Chair of Finance and Administration; and Michael Strauss, MD, Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer.