Office of the Vice Chancellor

The NYU Abu Dhabi Vice Chancellor is the chief executive of the University and its campus. Working closely with faculty, students, staff, and administrators, the Vice Chancellor oversees all academic, administrative, and operational affairs for NYU Abu Dhabi. The Vice Chancellor serves on the Senior Leadership Team of NYU in New York and globally, and is a vibrant, visible presence in the intellectual and cultural life of Abu Dhabi. 

Fabio Piano, interim Vice Chancellor and Chief Executive of NYU Abu Dhabi as of June 1, 2024, previously served as Provost from 2010-2020. He is a distinguished biology professor at NYU Abu Dhabi and NYU New York.

During his tenure as Provost, Piano oversaw the establishment of over 24 undergraduate majors, global PhD programs, and two master's programs. He played a crucial role in shaping NYUAD into a globally recognized model of higher education, noted for its diversity, selectivity, and high-impact research.  

Piano holds a Laurea from the University of Florence and a PhD in Biology from NYU, where he also completed his undergraduate degree. He co-founded the Center for Genomics and Systems Biology at NYU New York and served as the inaugural director until he assumed his new role. His research on the molecular mechanisms underlying embryonic development and gene regulation has led to significant discoveries published in journals like Nature, Science, and Cell. Piano has received numerous grants and prestigious fellowships from the National Human Genome Research Institute of the NIH and Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation.