Dr. Robert Higgins ’77

Robert S.D. Higgins, MD, MSHA, serves as president of Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) and executive vice president at Mass General Brigham, roles he assumed in December 2021. As president, Dr. Higgins is responsible for the vitality and success of the clinical, academic, and educational mission of the Brigham in support of patients locally and across the globe. As executive vice president, he plays an active leadership role within the Mass General Brigham system, setting and guiding strategy, priorities, and performance. A distinguished academic and clinical physician with a long track record of collaborative leadership, Dr. Higgins joined the Brigham from John Hopkins, where he served as Director of the Department of Surgery and Surgeon-in-Chief, as well as the William Stewart Halsted Professor of Surgery at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine. Widely regarded as a leading authority in heart and lung transplantation, adult and pediatric cardiac surgery, and mechanical circulatory support, Dr. Higgins is a pioneer with remarkable clinical and academic accomplishments. Prior to Hopkins, he served as Department of Surgery Chair and Director of the Comprehensive Transplant Center at The Ohio State University Medical Center from 2010 to 2015. He has served in numerous national professional leadership roles and authored more than 200 scientific articles and book chapters. Dr. Higgins earned his bachelor’s degree from Dartmouth College and his medical degree from Yale School of Medicine. He also earned a master’s degree in health services administration at Virginia Commonwealth University.