Downstate’s Dr. Brian McNeil Named A National Health Policy Fellow By Robert Wood Johnson Foundation And The National Academy Of Medicine
By Office of Communications & Marketing | Jun 3, 2025
Brooklyn, NY—SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University (Downstate) announced that Brian Keith McNeil, M.D., MBA, FACS, Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs and Vice Chair of the Department of Urology at
Downstate, was named among eight esteemed colleagues as a 2025–2026 Health Policy Fellow by the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation (RWJF) and the National Academy of Medicine (NAM). This highly competitive fellowship places distinguished health professionals in
Washington, D.C., where they engage in hands-on health-related legislative and regulatory
work alongside members of Congress and the executive branch.
The RWJF Health Policy Fellows program is the nation’s most prestigious learning experience at the intersection of health, science, and public policy. Fellows spend three months in an intensive orientation, followed by a subsequent nine-month assignment in either a congressional office or a federal agency. The fellowship prepares forward-thinking leaders to drive systemic healthcare and policy improvements.
“Health policy is back in the forefront as our country evaluates the role of government in public health and healthcare,” said Gregg Margolis, director of the RWJF Health Policy Fellows program at NAM. “The 2025-2026 RWJF Fellows represent some of the nation’s leading experts, and we are excited to welcome them to the capital to provide fresh perspectives and new ideas for some of our most difficult challenges.”
“It is a tremendous honor to be selected as a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Health Policy Fellow,” said Dr. McNeil. “This fellowship is an excellent opportunity to deepen my understanding of federal policy and bring that insight back to Downstate to serve our community better. I look forward to collaborating with national leaders to shape policies that make quality healthcare more accessible and responsive to all communities.”
In addition to his responsibilities as Associate Dean and Vice Chair, Dr. McNeil is a Senior Staff Urologist and mentor to many. A board-certified urologist and Fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Dr. McNeil previously directed the ACGME-accredited Urology Residency Program at Downstate, where he was a leading advocate for broadening access, expanding opportunity, and fostering excellence in medical education for individuals from all backgrounds
"Dr. McNeil's selection as an RWJF Health Policy Fellow is a noteworthy honor for him and Downstate," said Wayne J. Riley, M.D., President of Downstate. "His leadership, commitment to equity, and clinical expertise make him a powerful voice in national health policy. We will continue to support his growth as a leader on the national stage."
“For more than 50 years, the RWJF Health Policy Fellows program has placed promising leaders in congressional offices and federal agencies to gain hands-on experience at the nexus of health, science, and policy,” said Osub Ahmed, policy officer at the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. “We look forward to seeing how the 2025-2026 fellows leverage their training to support RWJF’s vision for a future where health is a right.”
Dr. McNeil’s appointment reflects Downstate’s mission to advance health equity, clinical excellence, and community-based innovation, keeping care close and accessible to Brooklyn’s 2.7 million residents. His work embodies the institution’s values of transformational change and the successful promise of academic medicine as an equalizer for underserved communities. He has made significant contributions to national efforts in public education, urologic health, and addressing disparities in access to care.
Dr. McNeil was named a Presidential Leadership Scholar (PLS) in 2023, among a diverse network of leaders working toward change in the United States and globally while learning about leadership through the lens of former presidents George W. Bush, William J. Clinton, George H.W. Bush, Lyndon B. Johnson, and members of their respective administrations.
Dr. McNeil serves on the Board of Directors of the Urology Care Foundation, the official foundation of the American Urological Association. He also serves on the Board of Trustees of the Weeksville Heritage Center, a historic site and cultural center in Brooklyn dedicated to celebrating the heritage of one of America’s first free Black communities.
Dr. McNeil earned a B.S. in Biology from Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA, and his medical degree from the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine. He completed his urology residency at the Loyola University Medical Center and a clinical fellowship in urologic oncology at the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, following research fellowships at the National Institutes of Health/National Cancer Institute and James Buchanan Brady Urological Institute at Johns Hopkins Hospital. He also holds an MBA from NYU’s Stern School of Business.
About The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation
The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation is a leading national philanthropy dedicated to taking bold leaps to transform health in our lifetime. Through funding, convening, advocacy, and evidence-building, it works with communities, practitioners, and institutions to get to health equity faster and pave the way together to a future where health is no longer a privilege but a right. For more information, visit www.rwjf.org
About The National Academy of Medicine
The National Academy of Medicine, established in 1970 as the Institute of Medicine, is an independent organization of eminent professionals from diverse fields, including health and medicine, the natural, social, and behavioral sciences, and beyond. It serves alongside the National Academy of Sciences and the National Academy of Engineering as an adviser to the nation and the international community. Through its domestic and global initiatives, the NAM works to address critical issues in health, medicine, and related policy and inspire positive action across sectors. The NAM collaborates closely with its peer academies and other divisions within the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
About SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University
Downstate Health Sciences University (Downstate), located in Brooklyn, is one of four academic medical centers in the 64-campus State University of New York (SUNY) system. It is the only SUNY academic medical center in New York City. Its mission is to educate health professionals, advance medical research, and provide patient care to Brooklyn’s 2.7 million residents.
University Hospital at Downstate (UHD), the flagship hospital of Downstate Health Sciences University, is a teaching hospital enriched by the expertise of its medical school and cutting-edge academic research facilities. Supported by a team of more than 800 physicians across 53 specialties and subspecialties, UHD provides community comprehensive, high-quality healthcare services. UHD specializes in high-risk neonatal and infant care, pediatric nephrology, and kidney disease dialysis and operates Brooklyn’s only kidney transplant program.
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