About Us

We combine scientific rigor with product best practices to translate research into clinical workflows.

Overview

We are a multidisciplinary research team at Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, Florida, dedicated to advancing artificial intelligence in clinical practice. Originating from a foundation in plastic surgery outcomes research, our work has expanded to encompass a wide range of AI-driven innovations that enhance patient care, improve clinical workflows, and address critical challenges in modern medicine.

Through cutting-edge methodologies, we explore the integration of AI to drive meaningful advancements across diverse medical fields. Our affiliation extends to both the Department of Surgery and the Department of Artificial Intelligence & Informatics, and our work connects research findings with real-world implementation.

We envision a future where artificial intelligence is seamlessly integrated into clinical medicine to enhance patient outcomes, improve the healthcare experience, and optimize clinical workflows.

Vision

By developing AI-driven solutions, we aim to reduce the cognitive and operational burden on clinicians, allowing them to focus more on patient care.

Our research is dedicated to ensuring AI is not only innovative but also safe, effective, and ethically implemented, bridging the gap between technological advancements and real-world medical applications.

Through this work, we seek to shape a more intelligent, efficient, and patient-centered healthcare system.

Message from the Chairs

Sarah McLaughlin MD FSSO

Professor of Surgery
Chair, Department of Surgery, Mayo Clinic Florida

Artificial intelligence is transforming surgical care by delivering smarter, safer, and more personalized solutions for patients and clinicians. At the Mayo Clinic Surgery AI Lab, multidisciplinary research is dedicated to integrating AI into clinical practice, with a special focus on enhancing patient outcomes and optimizing workflows. By harnessing advanced technologies such as Agentic AI, AI-driven virtual assistants, large language models, knowledge graphs and clinical decision support systems, we are bridging critical gaps in patient education, postoperative care, and real-time clinical decision-making. These innovations not only reduce the cognitive and operational burden on clinicians but also ensure that every patient receives personalized, accessible, and high-quality support throughout their surgical journey.

Our commitment is to build a future where AI empowers care teams, reduces burdens, and ensures every patient receives high-quality, accessible support.

Cui Tao, PhD, FACMI 

Nancy Peretsman and Robert Scully Chair of Artificial Intelligence & Informatics 
Chair, Department of Artificial Intelligence and Informatics, Mayo Clinic
Vice President, Mayo Clinic Platform Informatics

Artificial intelligence is revolutionizing healthcare, unlocking new possibilities for data-driven patient care. At the Mayo Clinic Surgery AI Lab, our work advances the field through cutting-edge research in clinical deployment of natural language processing, knowledge representation, and intelligent systems—enabling safer, more precise, and scalable solutions for patients.

Our commitment to rigorous scientific standards and ethical AI ensures that every innovation translates into meaningful improvements in patient outcomes and healthcare delivery. Together, we are shaping a future where computational intelligence drives progress across medicine.

Core Values

Patient-Centered Innovation

Our research is driven by the goal of improving patient outcomes, safety, and experience. We prioritize AI applications that enhance care delivery while ensuring accessibility and ethical implementation.

Scientific Rigor & Integrity

We adhere to the highest standards of scientific inquiry, conducting research that is methodologically sound, reproducible, and clinically relevant. Our work is grounded in evidence-based approaches to AI development and evaluation.

Physician & Clinician Support

We recognize that AI should complement, not replace, clinical expertise. Our research focuses on reducing clinician workload, improving decision-making, and optimizing workflows to enhance efficiency and prevent burnout.

Interdisciplinary Collaboration

We understand that advancing AI in medicine requires a multidisciplinary approach. We are a group composed mainly of physicians and computer scientists and work closely with engineers and other healthcare professionals to develop solutions that are both technologically sophisticated and clinically meaningful.

Ethical Responsibility & AI Safety

As AI continues to evolve, we remain committed to ensuring its responsible and transparent implementation. We actively address issues of bias, fairness, and explainability to develop AI systems that are safe, equitable, and trustworthy.

Continuous Exploration & Adaptation

AI in healthcare is a rapidly evolving field, and we embrace an adaptive research approach. We continuously assess emerging challenges, explore new AI methodologies, and refine our focus to remain at the forefront of AI-driven healthcare innovation.

Academic Contribution

July 2018 - December 2025

Researchers

IRB Approved Studies

290

Papers Published in
Peer-Reviewed Journals

176

Abstracts

96 Podium

80 Posters

120

Grants Submitted

10 State

72 Intramural

19 External Foundation

19 NIH

Grants Awarded

$2,994,930
Awarded