The Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery has been at the forefront of discovery and innovation, successfully translating its research into improved surgical care and healthier, longer lives for the patients it serves. Its teams of leading scientists and surgeons are tackling some of the most complex obstacles within the field of surgery today. Steep advances in the fields of computing intelligence, integrative imaging, nanotechnology, molecular biology, genetics, and animal modeling are now converging in exciting new ways. Through its culture of inquiry and intentional multidisciplinary collaborations, the Department of Surgery is accomplishing its priority mission to advance diagnosis and treatment of disease through research.
The Department of Surgery receives approximately 16 million dollars in extramural funding each year, including awards from federal and state government grant agencies, private foundations, and industry.
View information on the comprehensive support provided by the Office of Surgical Research for Baylor College of Medicine faculty.
Cancer Research
World-class scientists within the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery are revolutionizing prevention, detection, and treatment for several cancers. Key areas of research focus are: genetics and genomics, translational technology, immunotherapy and vaccines, microbiomics, and clinical trials, with an emphasis on thoracic, endocrine, and gastrointestinal cancers.
Cardiac and Vascular Research
The Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery is a world leader in cardiac and vascular innovation. Together with our partners in the Baylor College of Medicine Cardiovascular Research Institute and the Texas Heart Institute, the department's cardiovascular research program is at the forefront of developing translational and clinical therapies for cardiovascular disease.
Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Research
Plastic surgeons at Baylor College of Medicine are exploring the exciting front-edge of cellular and materials science as well as new surgical techniques in cosmetic and reconstruction procedures. In addition to these advances, our surgeons have been ambitiously leveraging new technology to make life-changing surgical care affordable, accessible, and safe around the globe.
Surgical Outcomes, Health Services, Quality and Safety Research
Faculty in the Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery play a key role in wide variety of quality improvement initiatives and surgical outcomes studies in the United States and across the globe. Our investigators’ research projects are funded by grants from the NIH, VA Office of Research & Development, the Cancer Prevention & Research Institute of Texas, foundations, and industry.
Transplantation Research
Since the 1960s, Baylor College of Medicine has been an international leader in the quest to discover new organ replacement treatments for advanced diseases. Today, innovation remains the hallmark of our research programs in solid organ transplantation, mechanical assist devices, organ preservation, surgical procedures, immunosuppressive medications, and transplant outcomes.
Trauma and Acute Care Research
Our surgeons integrate the best of science and innovative technology with sound outcomes research as they treat patients suffering life-threatening injuries caused by blunt and ballistic trauma. Patients with acute surgical illness due to causes other than trauma at Ben Taub, the Michael E. DeBakey VA Medical Center, and Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center are treated by division clinicians who specialize in emergency general surgery and the management of critically ill patients in the intensive care unit.
