Joel Nelson, M.D., is executive vice president and chief clinical officer of UPMC, supporting UPMC’s quality enhancement initiatives, service line development, and growth initiatives across UPMC’s regions.
As president of UPMC International, Nelson is responsible for the expansion of UPMC's world-class medical care, technology and services to patients and health care providers around the world. He oversees a portfolio of international projects spanning multiple clinical specialties, with a geographic focus on Italy, Ireland, and Croatia. UPMC leverages its medical, operational and technological expertise to provide the best possible care to patients close to where they live.
Nelson has also been the Frederic N. Schwentker Professor and chair of the Department of Urology, University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine, from 1999 to 2024, grew the department from 5 to 40 full-time faculty members, with a 12-fold increase in clinical volumes and research funding. With more than 250 scientific publications, he is a member of the American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons, the Clinical Society of Genitourinary Surgeons, and was a trustee of the American Board of Urology.
Nelson was appointed senior vice president and chief medical officer of UPMC International in 2021 and was named president in 2024. Previously, he served as senior medical director of the University of Pittsburgh Physicians and chief clinical officer of the Health Services Division at UPMC.
