Dr. Eric Neilson has been named the new dean of Northwestern University's Feinberg School of Medicine. Neilson has also been appointed chairman of the board of the Northwestern Medical Faculty Foundation.

Neilson replaces Dr. J. Larry Jameson, who served as dean from 2007 to 2010, and Dr. Jeffrey Glassroth, who has been interim dean since Jan. 1.

Neilson chaired Vanderbilt University's School of Medicine from 1998 to 2010. During that time, Vanderbilt's medical center became a $2.4 billion enterprise. He also helped to increase clinical practice revenues and research funding from the National Institutes of Health.

Under his leadership, Vanderbilt's medical faculty grew from 270 to nearly 650., and he helped increase the department of medicine's endowment.

Neilson starts his new job at Northwestern September 1.