News

By UCSF School of Medicine

We are pleased to announce the appointment of Roy H. Perlis, MD, MSc, as director of the Bakar Computational Health Sciences Institute (BCHSI) and Priscilla Chan and Mark Zuckerberg UCSF Distinguished Professor, effective February 1, 2027.

Dr. Perlis is an internationally recognized clinician-scientist whose career has focused on applying computational methods to improve biomedical research and patient care. His work spans artificial intelligence, machine learning, bioinformatics, genomics, and large-scale clinical investigation, with a particular emphasis on accelerating discovery and improving treatment for neuropsychiatric conditions.

He will join UCSF from Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, where he serves as vice chair for research in the Department of Psychiatry, director of the Center for Quantitative Health, the Ronald I. Dozoretz, MD Endowed Chair, and professor of psychiatry. He is also the founding editor in chief of JAMA+ AI, where he leads artificial intelligence content across the 13 journals of the JAMA Network and helps guide the responsible use of AI in editorial processes.

Dr. Perlis brings extensive experience building interdisciplinary research programs and developing platforms that make complex health data more accessible to investigators. As director of the Center for Quantitative Health, he has supported clinician-scientists across Massachusetts General Hospital in using electronic health records and related data for clinical research. He has also helped lead one of the nation’s largest academic psychiatry research enterprises and has authored more than 400 peer-reviewed publications.

At UCSF, Dr. Perlis will build on BCHSI’s strong foundation and advance its role as a catalyst for computational health across our missions. His priorities include expanding the use of diverse health data beyond electronic health records; applying computational approaches to therapeutic discovery and development; strengthening the generation, evaluation and translation of clinical evidence; and building partnerships across UCSF to move promising tools into clinical and public health practice.

Central to his vision is a commitment to mentorship and to developing the next generation of leaders in computational health sciences. Throughout his career, Dr. Perlis has mentored trainees and faculty across disciplines and helped create learning environments that combine technical expertise with collaboration, creativity, and clear communication.

Dr. Perlis joins UCSF at a consequential moment for artificial intelligence and data science in health. His breadth of experience and commitment to rigorous, collaborative, and clinically relevant research will position BCHSI to help shape how these rapidly evolving fields improve discovery, education, and patient care.

As Dr. Perlis takes on this role, we also honor the extraordinary legacy of Atul Butte, MD, PhD, BCHSI’s founding director, whose vision and leadership established UCSF as a global leader in computational health sciences and helped shape the Institute into what it is today. Atul’s commitment to using data and technology to advance discovery and improve human health will remain an enduring part of BCHSI’s foundation. We encourage you to read the leadership message remembering Atul and his remarkable contributions to UCSF.

We are deeply grateful to Marina Sirota, PhD for her outstanding leadership as acting director. Since stepping into the role in 2024, Dr. Sirota has provided thoughtful and steady stewardship of the Institute while continuing to advance its research, mentorship, outreach, and commitment to equity in science. Her leadership has ensured that BCHSI remains a strong and collaborative academic home for computational health at UCSF.

We are also grateful to the members of the search committee and to everyone who participated in the national search process. Please join us in welcoming Dr. Perlis to UCSF and congratulating him on his appointment.