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Who We Are Omaida Caridad Velasquez, MD
Omaida Caridad Velasquez, MD
Professor, DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery, David Kimmelman Endowed Chair in Vascular and Endovascular Surgery, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine
Profile
Office Role: President
Nominee Election Year to ASEMFL: 2022
Nominee Committee Service: Her service as an ASEMFL Board Member (2025-Present), Chair of the ASEMFL Strategy Committee (2025-present), and ASEMFL Secretary (2026) have given her a deep understanding of the Academy, its members, its mission, and the opportunities before it. Through these leadership roles, she has demonstrated an ability to develop thoughtful strategies, build consensus across disciplines, strengthen collaboration, and translate vision into meaningful organizational impact.
Nominator Name: Hortensia Amaro
Description of technical expertise, past leadership experience, and goals for ASEMFL position:
Dr. Velazquez, a member of the National Academy of Medicine (2022), brings to this role a distinguished record of leadership, service, scientific achievement, and a sustained commitment to advancing the intersection of science, engineering, medicine, and innovation. Dr. Velazquez's broader career further reflects the qualities of leadership that would serve ASEMFL exceptionally well. She has held major academic and health system leadership positions, including Executive Dean for Research at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Chair of the DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery, and Surgeon-in-Chief for the University of Miami and Jackson Health Systems. Her career has been distinguished by multidisciplinary scientific collaboration, sustained research productivity, innovation, mentorship, and the development of programs and teams that have achieved lasting institutional impact.
Importantly, Dr. Velazquez embodies the interdisciplinary mission at the heart of ASEMFL. Trained initially at Stevens Institute of Technology before earning her medical degree and completing surgical, vascular, and postdoctoral research training, she has built a career at the interface of engineering, biomedical science, translational research, and clinical medicine. Her scientific work has extended from vascular biology and regenerative medicine to gene and cell-based therapies, resulting in more than 200 publications, biomedical patents, and technologies that have progressed toward clinical translation and industry collaboration.
As President, Dr. Velazquez would bring not only an accomplished record, but also a collaborative and forward-looking approach to leadership. She understands that ASEMFL's greatest strength lies in the collective expertise of its members and in its ability to convene leaders across disciplines and institutions. Dr. Velazquez would work to broaden engagement, strengthen partnerships throughout Florida, create meaningful opportunities for members and emerging leaders, and further establish ASEMFL as an influential voice for science, engineering, medicine, and innovation across the state.
Nominee Election Year to ASEMFL: 2022
Nominee Committee Service: Her service as an ASEMFL Board Member (2025-Present), Chair of the ASEMFL Strategy Committee (2025-present), and ASEMFL Secretary (2026) have given her a deep understanding of the Academy, its members, its mission, and the opportunities before it. Through these leadership roles, she has demonstrated an ability to develop thoughtful strategies, build consensus across disciplines, strengthen collaboration, and translate vision into meaningful organizational impact.
Nominator Name: Hortensia Amaro
Description of technical expertise, past leadership experience, and goals for ASEMFL position:
Dr. Velazquez, a member of the National Academy of Medicine (2022), brings to this role a distinguished record of leadership, service, scientific achievement, and a sustained commitment to advancing the intersection of science, engineering, medicine, and innovation. Dr. Velazquez's broader career further reflects the qualities of leadership that would serve ASEMFL exceptionally well. She has held major academic and health system leadership positions, including Executive Dean for Research at the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine, Chair of the DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery, and Surgeon-in-Chief for the University of Miami and Jackson Health Systems. Her career has been distinguished by multidisciplinary scientific collaboration, sustained research productivity, innovation, mentorship, and the development of programs and teams that have achieved lasting institutional impact.
Importantly, Dr. Velazquez embodies the interdisciplinary mission at the heart of ASEMFL. Trained initially at Stevens Institute of Technology before earning her medical degree and completing surgical, vascular, and postdoctoral research training, she has built a career at the interface of engineering, biomedical science, translational research, and clinical medicine. Her scientific work has extended from vascular biology and regenerative medicine to gene and cell-based therapies, resulting in more than 200 publications, biomedical patents, and technologies that have progressed toward clinical translation and industry collaboration.
As President, Dr. Velazquez would bring not only an accomplished record, but also a collaborative and forward-looking approach to leadership. She understands that ASEMFL's greatest strength lies in the collective expertise of its members and in its ability to convene leaders across disciplines and institutions. Dr. Velazquez would work to broaden engagement, strengthen partnerships throughout Florida, create meaningful opportunities for members and emerging leaders, and further establish ASEMFL as an influential voice for science, engineering, medicine, and innovation across the state.