Azra Bihorac is the Senior Associate Dean for Research at the University of Florida College of Medicine. She is the R. Glenn Davis Professor of Medicine, Surgery, Anesthesiology, and Physiology & Functional Genomics; the Director of the Precision and Intelligent Systems in Medicine Research Partnership (PRISMAP); and Director of the Intelligent Clinical Care Center (IC3), a multi-disciplinary center focused on providing sustainable support and leadership for transformative medical AI research, education, and clinical applications to advance patients’ health in real-world clinical care. Under her leadership, the University of Florida College of Medicine has developed a robust program in Biomedical AI. She leads efforts to establish an AI in Research Hub for 27 newly recruited tenured track AI faculty with over $30 million in NIH funding and has developed a unique “AI Passport for Health” program for comprehensive upskilling of biomedical and healthcare workforce.
The journey of Dr. Bihorac’s medical career has spanned multiple continents, from her time as a medical student at the University of Sarajevo in Bosnia & Herzegovina to her role as a dean at the University of Florida in the United States. Through her research, she is addressing an unprecedented opportunity for implementing ambient and immersive AI to transform the diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment for critically and acutely ill patients. Her clinical work, research, and leadership strategy are aligned with her vision for intelligent human-centered health care, where innovation, technology and data are aligned to deliver optimal quality and experience for every patient, caregiver, and provider. Since 2010, she has maintained continuous National Institutes of Health funding and currently co-leads national initiatives developing a national roadmap for integrating AI in clinical care. She has authored more than 290 peer-reviewed publications with over 21,000 citations. Dr. Bihorac had the distinct honor of delivering the commencement address for the University of Florida’s Class of 2025. She is a holistic mentor and sponsor for more than 100 undergraduate, graduate, postdoctoral students, and faculty across the globe.