Florida Atlantic University has named Lewis S. Nelson, M.D., as the new dean of the Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine. Dr. Nelson previously served as professor and inaugural chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine and chief of the Division of Medical Toxicology and Addiction Medicine at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School in Newark, and chief of the Emergency Department at University Hospital of Newark, a public safety net hospital.
Dr. Nelson has more than 30 years of academic and clinical leadership experience with a proven record of fostering innovation, research, and clinical excellence. During his eight-year tenure at Rutgers, the department has evolved to include five fellowship training programs, a top-rated clinical clerkship, and pioneering clinical programs. Dr. Nelson successfully increased clinical volume by 11%, doubled the size of the faculty, expanded the residency program by 40%, secured $3 million in federal research grants, and markedly boosted the department’s clinical revenue.
Dr. Nelson is board certified in emergency medicine, medical toxicology, and addiction medicine. His research and scholarship focus on the medical and social consequences of substance use, including opioid overdose and withdrawal, alcohol withdrawal, and alternative pain relief strategies. His numerous activities have had a significant impact on health policy, clinical care, and education across the entire spectrum of learners.
Before joining Rutgers, Dr. Nelson spent more than 20 years at New York University School of Medicine, where he was a professor of emergency medicine, vice chair for academic affairs, and director of the medical toxicology fellowship program. He received his M.D. degree from the State University of New York Health Science Center in Brooklyn, and an MBA from Brandeis University with a focus on health policy. He completed his residency training in emergency medicine at Mount Sinai School of Medicine where he also served as chief resident. He also completed a fellowship in medical toxicology at New York University School of Medicine.
Throughout his career, Dr. Nelson has actively engaged with several organizations closely tied to academic medicine. He served as a director of the American Board of Emergency Medicine for nine years and represented them on the American Board of Medical Specialties Health Policy and Strategy Committee and the National Academy of Medicine Health Policy Fellowship Program. He also served as president of the American College of Medical Toxicology (ACMT) and as a board member of the Accreditation Council for Continuing Medical Education. He currently holds the position of past president of the Association of Academic Chairs in Emergency Medicine.
