SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University Announces Appintment of Brian K. McNeil, M.D. as Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs in the College of Medicine
By Office of Communications & Marketing | Aug 21, 2020
MEDIA CONTACT: Dawn S. Walker | Dawn.walker@downstate.edu | (347) 533-2071
BROOKLYN, N.Y. – SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University College of Medicine dean F. Charles Brunicardi, MD., recently announced the appointment of Brian K. McNeil, M.D, MBA, FACS as the Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs in the College of Medicine.
"As a premier academic medical center, we constantly seek opportunities to connect
today's leaders with the next generation of healthcare professionals and researchers,"
said Dean Brunicardi. "Dr. McNeil is one of our most influential young physicians whose expertise and academic
leadership skills have prepared him for this role. We are proud to see him help shape
the clinical and educational missions, and the professional journeys for thousands
of future doctors, nurses, and medical staff."
Brian K. McNeil, M.D., has been serving the SUNY Downstate medical community since 2011, most recently as
Vice-Chair and Residency Program Director in the Department of Urology at Downstate.
He is also a Physician Specialist in Urology at Kings County Hospital Center, and the
Urology Chief of Service at the University Hospital of Brooklyn.
"I am pleased to be appointed as Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs so that I can
help to guide and expand our clinical, education, and research missions to find ways
to help underserved communities get better access to critical healthcare," said Dr. McNeil. "This is not only an issue in urology but in most fields of healthcare where concentrated
pockets of poverty surround us, and some patient groups have access to state-of-the-art
treatment while other, more vulnerable populations, lack access to the standard of
care therapy. I look forward to work we must do to level the playing field."
Studies show that African American men are approximately 70 percent more likely to
develop prostate cancer in their lifetime than white or Hispanic men. Throughout his
career, Dr. McNeil has worked to improve access to healthcare for vulnerable populations,
focusing on urologic care in medically underserved communities.
In his new role, Dr. McNeil will work closely with Dean Brunicardi to help further
Downstate's clinical and education missions. Dr. McNeil currently serves as a member
of the Downstate Coronavirus Preparedness Task Force chaired by Dean Brunicardi. During
the height of the pandemic, he worked closely with Chief of Medicine Moro Salifu, M.D.,on faculty redeployment.
Dr. McNeil organized Resident redeployment efforts in the Department of Urology, provided support to address mental and health concerns, and worked to help minimize exposure in clinical settings during the pandemic. Dr. McNeil also recently partnered with the Society of Academic Urology in an online session for department chairs and program directors for a presentation entitled "Sharing Experiences to Cope with the COVID-19 Pandemic."
One of several of HBCU graduates now at SUNY Downstate, Dr. McNeil received his B.S. in biology from Morehouse College in Atlanta, his M.D. from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, and his MBA from New York University Stern School of Business. He completed a clinical fellowship in urologic oncology at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center following similar research fellowships at both the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute and James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He is a Fellow of the New York Academy of Medicine and an active member of the American Urological Association. Dr. McNeil is a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity.
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About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University is the borough’s only academic medical center for health education, research, and patient care, and is a 342-bed facility serving the healthcare needs of New York City, and Brooklyn’s 2.6 million residents. University Hospital of Brooklyn (UHB) is Downstate’s teaching hospital, backed by the expertise of an outstanding medical school and the research facilities of a world-class academic center. More than 800 physicians, representing 53 specialties and subspecialties—many of them ranked as tops in their fields—comprise Downstate's staff.
A regional center for cardiac care, neonatal and high-risk infant services, pediatric dialysis, and transplantation, Downstate also houses a major learning center for children with physical ailments or neurological disorders. In addition to UHB, Downstate comprises a College of Medicine, College of Nursing, School of Health Professions, a School of Graduate Studies, a School of Public Health, and a multifaceted biotechnology initiative, including the Downstate Biotechnology Incubator and BioBAT for early-stage and more mature companies, respectively. For more information, visit www.downstate.edu or follow us on Twitter at @sunydownstate.