The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) has appointed Dr. Amar Shah, MBBS, MRCPsych, LLM, MA, MBA, MBE, as its permanent Chief Scientific Officer, bringing his extensive experience in improvement science and healthcare system leadership into the organization’s executive team.
Shah has served as IHI’s Interim Chief Scientific Officer since July 2026, following a period of transition within the organization. His permanent appointment follows an executive search and formalizes his role in shaping IHI’s scientific and innovation agenda.
Before taking the position, Shah served as National Clinical Director for Improvement at NHS England, where he has led efforts focused on applying improvement methods across England’s health and care system. He also spent 15 years at East London NHS Foundation Trust, including a decade on its board and executive team as Chief Quality Officer.
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Shah has also had a longstanding relationship with IHI, serving as Chair of its Scientific Advisory Group and as faculty supporting healthcare organizations in applying improvement methods. His work has focused on quality management, healthcare improvement and the development of systems capable of delivering sustained improvements in care.
In his new role, Shah will lead the development of IHI’s multi-year scientific agenda and establish organization-wide standards for large-scale improvement programs. He will also oversee the Improvement Science Hub and work on IHI’s product development and management approach, while strengthening how evidence is generated and applied across its programs and partnerships.
The appointment also represents a notable milestone for IHI as Shah becomes the organization’s first executive appointment from outside the United States. His international experience reflects IHI’s work with healthcare systems and partners across different regions.
Shah’s transition into the permanent CSO role places improvement science, evidence generation and healthcare system transformation at the center of his executive responsibilities as IHI develops its next phase of scientific work.
