Assistant / Associate Professor of Surgery - VITAL Lab (AI & Aortic Surgery Research)

Baylor College of Medicine and Department Summary:

Baylor () is recognized as one of the nation’s premier academic health science centers and is known for excellence in education, research, and healthcare and community service. Located in the heart of the world's largest medical center ( Texas Medical Center ), Baylor is affiliated with multiple educational, healthcare and research affiliates ( Baylor Affiliates ).

Summary

Baylor College of Medicine is seeking an exceptional PhD-level AI researcher to serve as a founding leader of the Vascular Intelligence for Translational AI & Learning (VITAL) Lab-a newly funded, $14M initiative focused on transforming aortic surgery through advanced artificial intelligence, data science, and translational research.

This individual will be responsible for building the VITAL Lab from inception, establishing a state-of-the-art research infrastructure, and leading the development of innovative AI-enabled solutions to improve diagnosis, procedural planning, and outcomes in aortic disease.

The ideal candidate will combine deep technical expertise in AI delivery (computer vision, machine learning, multimodal data) with demonstrated experience in clinical research-preferably in cardiovascular, aortic surgery domains.

Job Duties

VITAL Lab Development & Leadership

• Lead the end-to-end buildout of the VITAL Lab, including infrastructure, governance, and research roadmap
• Develop a world-class AI research ecosystem aligned with Baylor Medicine's strategic priorities in vascular and aortic care
• Oversee utilization of a $14M grant portfolio, ensuring execution against milestones, deliverables, and reporting requirements
• Establish partnerships across surgery, radiology, cardiology, and computational sciences

________________________________________

AI & Data Platform Development

• Design and deploy scalable AI pipelines for imaging, clinical, and genomic data
• Lead development of a large-scale, high-quality aortic research database (imaging repository, clinical registry, biobank integration)
• Implement machine learning, deep learning, and computer vision models for:
  • Aortic disease detection and classification
  • Surgical planning and simulation, including digital twin creation and computational fluid dynamic analysis
  • Outcomes prediction and risk stratification
• Drive AI model deployment and real-world clinical integration

________________________________________

Research & Academic Contributions

• Lead high-impact peer-reviewed publications in top-tier journals
• Develop and submit extramural grant proposals (NIH, NSF, DoD, industry partnerships)
• Present research at national and international conferences
• Establish the VITAL Lab as a global leader in AI-driven aortic surgery research

________________________________________

Clinical & Translational Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with vascular and aortic surgeons to translate clinical needs into AI solutions
• Integrate AI tools into clinical workflows and surgical decision-making
• Support the development of next-generation clinical trials leveraging AI insights

________________________________________

Education & Mentorship

• Mentor trainees including PhD students, residents, fellows, and research staff
• Develop educational programming in AI for surgery and translational data science

Minimum Qualifications

• PhD in Computer Science, Biomedical Engineering, Data Science, or related field
• Demonstrated expertise in machine learning, deep learning, and AI system development
• Proven track record of peer-reviewed publications and research impact
• Experience building or contributing to large-scale research datasets or platforms

Preferred qualifications:

• Prior experience in cardiovascular disease research
• Experience working in academic medical centers or translational research environments
• Demonstrated success in AI deployment
• Experience managing large research programs, labs, or grant-funded initiatives
• Proficiency in medical imaging analysis (CT, MRI, 3D reconstruction)
• Familiarity with regulatory frameworks (HIPAA, data governance, IRB)

Baylor College of Medicine is an Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action/Equal Access Employer.