Alexander A. Khalessi, MD, MBA serves as Chief Innovation Officer at UC San Diego Health and Interim Assistant Vice Chancellor for Health Sciences Innovation and AI at UC San Diego. In these dual enterprise roles, he leads strategy for digital transformation, advanced technology adoption, and artificial intelligence integration across clinical, operational, and academic missions. Working closely with leaders across UC San Diego Health, the School of Medicine, and UC Health, he focuses on improving care delivery while strengthening the institution’s national reputation for patient-centered innovation.
Dr. Khalessi is a board-certified neurosurgeon specializing in complex cranial surgery, endovascular neurosurgery, and neurosurgical oncology. He serves as Chair of the Department of Neurological Surgery, a nationally ranked program performing more than 4,500 major cases annually and supporting comprehensive system designations including dual comprehensive stroke centers, level 1 trauma, level 4 epilepsy, comprehensive cancer, and advanced spine services.
A dedicated academic physician-leader, Dr. Khalessi is Professor of Neurological Surgery, Radiology, and Neurosciences and holds the Don and Karen Cohn Chancellor’s Endowed Chair in Neurosurgery. He has authored more than 150 peer reviewed publications, delivered over 230 scientific abstracts and presentations, and served as principal or co-investigator on more than 25 clinical trials. His innovation portfolio includes multiple issued patents and leadership in national efforts to advance device development, regulatory science, and health technology evaluation.
Internationally recognized in neurosurgery and medical innovation, Dr. Khalessi chairs both the Neurosurgery Advisory Council for the American College of Surgeons, the AANS/CNS Washington Committee, and serves on National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) study sections for translational device (NSD-C) and small business (SBIR/STTR) mechanisms. He is a founding member of the Medical Device Innovation Consortium advising the FDA on neurovascular technologies, an inducted member of the American Academy of Neurological Surgery, and past president of the Congress of Neurological Surgeons.
Dr. Khalessi earned a Bachelor of Arts in Public Policy and a Master of Science in Health Services Research from Stanford University. He completed his MD at the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, neurosurgical residency at the University of Southern California, and received his MBA from the MIT Sloan School of Management.
