With the University of Utah on a trajectory of historic growth and investment in the communities around it, one of the most important institutional leaders for guiding that vision is the senior vice president overseeing the academic health sciences center and clinical operations.

After an extensive national search, President Taylor Randall announced Bob S. Carter, M.D., Ph.D., a neurosurgeon, as the university’s new senior vice president for health sciences and CEO of University of Utah Health. He will begin in mid-February, 2025.

Carter will manage both the academic and research enterprises at U of U Health, with its nearly $500 million research portfolio across five schools and colleges and a health sciences library. Carter also will oversee a $6.3 billion academic health system comprised of nearly 27,000 faculty and staff, and 6,400 students. He will be charged with fully integrating the clinical enterprise of 3,700 expert faculty and 17 high-quality hospitals and community health centers.

Carter currently serves as the William and Elizabeth Sweet Endowed Professor in Neuroscience at Harvard Medical School and Neurosurgeon-In-Chief at Mass General Brigham, Massachusetts General Hospital and Brigham and Women’s Hospital. With more than 18 years of experience as a researcher and professor of neurosurgery at Harvard Medical School, and another seven years at the University of California, San Diego, where he served as chair of the faculty of the School of Medicine, Carter brings with him deep knowledge of medical research and education. A neurosurgical oncologist, Carter has served as co-director of the Moores Cancer Center Brain Tumor Program at UC San Diego and the Brain Tumor Program at Mass General.

As a faculty member at Mass General Brigham and Harvard University, he currently manages multiple R01 grants from the National Institutes of Health (NIH). On Oct. 21, Carter was elected to the National Academy of Medicine.

Carter also has extensive experience in health care administration, helping to launch the integration of academic and clinical teams at Massachusetts General with Brigham and Women’s Hospital earlier this year. He previously served as the clinical director of the UC San Diego Neurological Institute, a co-founder of Mass General Neuroscience, and as a member of the UC San Diego Health Board of Governors.

Carter received his medical degree and a doctorate in epidemiology from Johns Hopkins University in 1992. He studied chemistry as an undergraduate at Brigham Young University, graduating in 1986.

“With his own history of research and clinical excellence, Dr. Carter brings a unique ability to run an academic medical center going through exceptional growth and institutional change,” said Randall. “With his leadership, we will ensure U of U Health continues to innovate, educate and provide high quality, responsive health care.”

Carter will be responsible for completing many projects in process—dedicating a new Spencer Fox Eccles School of Medicine Building in 2026; launching the West Valley City Hospital and Health Center; and opening several new Huntsman Cancer Institute and Huntsman Mental Health Institute facilities.

“I expect Dr. Carter to help us make the case to state lawmakers, donors and others for accelerating the growth and achievement of the University of Utah’s world class medical discovery, health care education and patient care,” Randall added.

At the same time, with his national experience, Carter will be well-positioned to advise colleagues at other institutions as they expand their own health care education offerings.

“U of U Health, and its dedicated faculty, staff and students, are at a unique inflection point,” Carter said. “I am impressed by what they have accomplished already as a team. And I am particularly drawn to the vision of the University of Utah as a public university striving to improve every person’s life, and U of U Health’s shared missions of leading-edge health care, curing through discovery and enlightening tomorrow’s leaders.”

“I have always been interested in challenges where I could make an impact in partnership with a like-minded community to advance human health,” he added. “And the entire university community projects such an enthusiasm, collaborative spirit and warmth.”

Carter replaces Mike Good, who announced his transition earlier this year, after leading the academic health system during a time of unprecedented growth and expansion. Over Good’s six and a half years at U of U Health, the system nearly doubled its budget, added a hospital and community health center, and recruited nearly 8,000 new faculty, staff and students. Patient visits increased by 25 percent. And U of U Health research funding grew from $356 million to $492 million.

“I am extremely excited to welcome Dr. Carter as he joins the leadership team at the University of Utah,” Good said. “His experience at top tier public and private universities and health care systems will serve University of Utah Health well as we embark on an unprecedented period of growth which will enhance medical education and patient care in Utah for decades to come.”

Randall thanked Good for his steady and calm leadership of U of U Health over the past six and a half years.

“Mike Good has been an extraordinarily perceptive and effective partner in the effort to guide this institution forward through times of transition, the global COVID-19 pandemic and unprecedented growth,” Randall said. “I am so grateful for his wisdom, patience and calm counsel. His leadership leaves us well-positioned to continue this effort.”