Burton P Drayer, MD

Burton Paul Drayer, MD, served as the Charles M. and Marilyn Newman Professor and System Chair of the Department of Radiology for The Mount Sinai Health System and the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai as well as the CEO of the Mount Sinai Doctors Faculty Practice and Dean for Clinical Affairs from 1995 to 2023.  He previously served as the President of The Mount Sinai Hospital from November 2003 to September 2008. He currently holds the position of Chair emeritus.

Dr. Drayer’s academic appointments began in 1977 as Associate Professor of Radiology at the University of Pittsburgh Health Center.  From 1979 to 1986, Dr. Drayer was faculty at Duke University Medical Center where he became Professor of Radiology and Assistant Professor of Medicine (Neurology).  He is Board Certified in both Radiology/Neuroradiology and Neurology.  In 1986, he was appointed Chair of the Division of Neuroimaging Research-Education at the Barrow Neurological Institute in Phoenix Arizona where he remained until 1995 and also became Chair of Radiology at St. Joseph’s Hospital.  In 1995, Dr. Drayer moved to his present Radiology position at the Mount Sinai Medical Center.

Internationally known for his research using anatomic, physiologic, and functional imaging of the aging brain, brain iron (the first to define the normal and abnormal presence of iron using MRI), neurodegenerative disorders, brain infarction, xenon enhanced CT for measuring regional cerebral blood flow (first described its potential, feasibility, and application), MR angiography, multiple sclerosis, and intrathecal contrast media toxicity, Dr. Drayer has over 200 publication in major journals as well as multiple book chapters.  He has been on many editorial boards and was Editor of Neuroimaging Clinics of North America from 1990 to 2005.  He is also well recognized as an expert in the development of outpatient imaging facilities, imaging center design, and advanced imaging equipment.  Dr. Drayer also serves on the Board of Directors of Hospitals Insurance Company (HIC), a malpractice liability insurance captive.

Dr. Drayer has been a leader in the major national and international Radiology societies.  He was on the Board of Directors of the American Society of Neuroradiology (ASNR) from 1990 to 2000 and was ASNR President (1996-1997).  He was also a founding member and the inaugural Chairman of the Research Foundation of the ASNR (1995-2001).  He was on the Board of Directors of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) as the Liaison for the Annual Meeting and IT from 2003 to 2008, Chairman of the Board in 2009, and President Elect and President in 2010 and 2011.  He was Chairman of the RSNA Research and Education Foundation from 2015-2016.  Additionally, Dr. Drayer was on the Board of Chancellors of the American College of Radiology (ACR) from 2009-2015 and Chaired the ACR Panel on Neurologic Imaging Appropriateness Criteria from 1994-2003.  He also served on the Board of Directors of the Academy of Radiology Research (ARR) from 1995 to 2000 and 2009 to 2012.

Among the honors presented to Dr. Drayer were the ASNR Cornelius Dyke (1977) and Outstanding Paper (1978, 1981) awards, the Jacobi Medallion of the Mount Sinai Medical Center (2009), honorary fellowship in the Royal College of Surgeons, Ireland (2011), honorary member of the European Society of Radiology (2012), and the Gold Medal of the ASNR in 2011 and the RSNA in 2016.  Dr. Drayer is a fellow of both the American Academy of Neurology and the American College of Radiology.  His career has been dedicated to enhancing the educational, clinical, research , and administrative platform for his associates at Mount Sinai as well as the national and international community of radiologists and imaging scientists.