Vanderbilt University informatics executive Peter Embí, M.D., M.S., has been named director of NIH’s National Library of Medicine, the agency announced. Embí brings nearly three decades of clinical, research, academic, and executive leadership experience to the position, according to the statement.
Career Background and Expertise
Embí currently serves as a tenured professor of biomedical informatics and internal medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville. He also holds the endowed director position for biomedical informatics and previously chaired the Department of Biomedical Informatics. Most recently, he founded the ADVANCE AI Center at the medical center.
His career includes serving as president and CEO of the Regenstrief Institute, vice president for learning health systems at IU Health, and professor and associate dean at Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis. Earlier, at The Ohio State University, Embí served as professor and vice-chair of biomedical informatics and held the nation’s first chief research information officer position.
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Throughout his career, Embí has advanced the use of health data, evidence, and emerging technologies to improve care and accelerate research. He championed the safe and effective adoption of artificial intelligence in medicine and trained generations of physicians and scientists in biomedical informatics. He is credited as a founder of the field of clinical research informatics and originated the concept of algorithmovigilance, which refers to the systematic evaluation and monitoring of AI in healthcare.
Role at the National Library of Medicine
As the NLM’s fifth director, Embí will oversee the world’s largest biomedical library. He will shepherd the investment of its approximately $495 million annual budget and lead a workforce of nearly 1,400 people who support the library’s operations. The NLM serves as a global leader in biomedical informatics and computational health data science research.
The library conducts and funds research, development, and training in biomedical informatics and health information technology. It hosts the world’s largest and most heavily accessed genomic data repositories. The library also coordinates the Network of the National Library of Medicine, which engages with more than 2,000 member organizations to provide training opportunities, resources, and health information in communities across the United States.
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Healthcare Innovation previously covered a presentation Embí gave about developing an open source platform for monitoring computable algorithms. He and colleagues are creating a collaborative of health systems to use and fine-tune it.
Transition Timeline
Embí is anticipated to begin his role on Sept. 10, 2026. NIH Director Jay Bhattacharya, M.D., Ph.D., praised Embí’s qualifications in a statement. “Dr. Embí is a pioneer at the intersection of biomedical informatics, research, and clinical care, with a proven track record of turning data into better health outcomes,” Bhattacharya said. “As NLM enters an era defined by AI and data-driven discovery, his leadership will be essential to ensuring the library continues to serve as a trusted, cutting-edge resource for researchers, clinicians, and the public.”
