For more than four decades, the US Institute of Medicine (IOM) has operated as an independent nonprofit organization with a mission of providing guiding documents on matters of health and biomedical research, many of which are commissioned by the government. The IOM--part of the 151-year-old National Academy of Sciences--issues reports on a wide range of topics, from salt consumption to clinical trial data sharing, and convenes workshops at its headquarters in Washington, DC.The institute counts almost 2,000 experts among its members, including Victor Dzau. On 1 July, Dzau will replace health policy expert Harvey Fineberg as president of the IOM for a six-year term. A cardiologist and researcher by training, Dzau currently serves as chancellor for health affairs at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina. During his time at Duke, he has broadened the reach of the institution by helping to launch the Duke-National University of Singapore Graduate Medical School, the Duke Global Health Institute and the International Partnership for Innovative Healthcare Delivery. Roxanne Khamsi spoke with Dzau about his vision for the IOM. The conversation has been edited for clarity.