The Hammer Museum at UCLA has elected Dr. Eric Esrailian as chair of its board of directors, succeeding Marcy Carsey after her twelve-year tenure. Collector and philanthropist Karen Hillenburg will serve as vice chair, the museum and UCLA announced this week. Esrailian, a professor at UCLA's David Geffen School of Medicine and chief of its digestive diseases division, has sat on the Hammer board since 2012 and previously served as vice chair. Beyond medicine he is an Emmy-nominated film producer whose work on The Promise and Intent to Destroy led to the creation of UCLA's Promise Institute for Human Rights and its Promise Armenian Institute. He also co-chairs the university's Second Century Council. Carsey remains a board member. The leadership change arrives alongside a broader refresh of governance: three new directors and five new board-of-advisors members bring the boards to 24 and 34 members respectively. The new directors are Leslie McMorrow, Alicia Minana de Lovelace and Joan Weinstein. Museum director Zoe Ryan, who took the helm in early 2025, said the appointments reflect the Hammer's current momentum and praised both new leaders for their deep engagement with the institution, noting that Hillenburg has strong relationships with artists and a keen understanding of the collections. The transition lands at a significant moment for the Los Angeles museum, which has been consolidating its expanded campus and curatorial programme under Ryan's directorship, including the appointment of a new chief curator and chief of learning earlier this year. Esrailian said he aims to make the Hammer a keystone of the Los Angeles art world and to position UCLA as a leading global university for the arts.