Executive Director, Ryan Institute for Interdisciplinary Health Solutions

The Bursky School of Public Health at Washington University in St. Louis (WashU) seeks a dynamic, entrepreneurial leader to serve as the Executive Director of the Ryan Institute for Interdisciplinary Health Solutions (Ryan Institute). This is an opportunity to build and lead a truly transformative, multidisciplinary program, established on the belief that the most complex global health challenges require integrated, cross-sector solutions.

The Ryan Institute is dedicated to advancing solutions to the world’s most pressing public health challenges. Guided by a vision of a world where public health solutions are scaled globally to improve the health of all people, the Institute unites faculty, policymakers, industry partners, and thought leaders around a shared purpose. Its mission is to develop actionable, scalable solutions through interdisciplinary research, high-level engagement, and cross-sector collaboration. What distinguishes the Ryan Institute is its commitment to translation, with funding, mentorship, postdoctoral support, and global convenings designed to move promising ideas into practice. By connecting scholarship with implementation, the Institute is positioned to drive lasting public health improvements.

Partnered with Dean Sandro Galea and backed by strong institutional commitment and significant philanthropic investment, this Executive Director is positioned at the forefront of a bold idea: to move beyond traditional academic silos and create a collaborative operating environment that unites expertise across the university and with global partners in government, NGOs, and the private sector. The impact is intended to extend far beyond scholarship—advancing practical, implementable solutions that improve lives, extend longevity, and drive measurable societal outcomes.

The successful candidate is both strategic and creative, translating an ambitious, startup-like institute into a sustainable, high-impact engine for change over time. This leader will play a critical role in shaping the institute’s trajectory, establishing the conditions for long-term success, and guiding its focus toward addressing a defined set of the world’s most pressing health challenges. Success in this role will be measured by the ability to foster collaboration, build credibility across diverse stakeholders, and create a culture that empowers others to lead and innovate. Under strong leadership, momentum is building around this new school of public health. This is a career-defining role for a leader motivated by impact—someone who sees the opportunity to help position the institute as a “crown jewel” that demonstrates the power of interdisciplinary collaboration to solve problems of global consequence.

Washington University in St. Louis, Bursky School of Public Health has retained Isaacson, Miller to assist in the search for the Executive Director, Ryan Institute. Randi Herrick is leading this search with Tiffany Weber, Maya Bennett, and Drew Chang.