Leslie Lenert, an internationally recognized informatics expert, has been named the first director of the Center for Biomedical Informatics and Health Artificial Intelligence (BMIHAI), a unit of the Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research.
He will also serve as a professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine of the Department of Medicine at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School.
Lenert is a professor of internal medicine at Medical University of South Carolina and held positions as associate vice president of data science and informatics, chief research information officer and director of the Biomedical Informatics Center during his tenure there. Lenert was selected for the position after an extensive national search.
His research focuses on the application of data science and interoperability tools in health systems. His work has led to the creation of mobile health apps, population health tools and innovative decision support systems that enhance patient engagement and care coordination.
“His leadership will help position the new center at the forefront of the fields of biomedical informatics and health-related AI, nationally and internationally,” said Brian Strom, chancellor of Rutgers Health.
At Medical University of South Carolina, Lenert founded a clinical trials unit supporting remote research and Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Network studies, helped found a joint doctorate program in data science and biomedical informatics with Clemson University, and led the creation of a statewide quality improvement and research database in South Carolina.
Lenert is an instinctive collaborator who inspires large teams to achieve new levels of success. As the associate director of the South Carolina Translational Research Institute, his leadership was pivotal in securing Medical University of South Carolina’s $26 million in Clinical and Translational Sciences Award in 2025.
“Dr. Lenert is a visionary leader who brings a wealth of expertise in biomedical informatics and AI research to Rutgers,” said Tobias Gerhard, director of Rutgers Institute for Health, Health Care Policy and Aging Research. “We are delighted to welcome Dr. Lenert to the Institute for Health and are confident that he will lead BMIHAI to success through cutting-edge research and new collaborations.”
In addition to his academic and research experience, Lenert was the founding director of the National Center for Public Health Informatics at the Centers for Disease Control and served two terms on the Health Information Technology Advisory Committee for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.
“My career began in medical AI, and it’s exciting to be able to join Rutgers and focus my career on AI in this revolutionary era,” Lenert said. “By combining AI and Learning Health Systems methods with a LivingLabs model of spaces to focus our work on solving real-world problems, our center will aim to transform both science and healthcare – starting in New Jersey, but with impacts that reach far beyond.”
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