Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University was founded in 1971 as the Stony Brook University School of Medicine.

In 2016, the School entered into a strategic partnership with Mount Sinai Health System and the Icahn School of Medicine in Manhattan for collaborative education, research and clinical care programs.

In November 2018, it was named Renaissance School of Medicine at Stony Brook University in recognition of the philanthropic investments of over 100 families at Renaissance Technologies in Stony Brook University – including the School of Medicine – starting with a gift made by Jim Simons, former Stony Brook University Mathematics Department Chair, who incubated Renaissance Technologies on the Stony Brook University campus.