Omaida C. Velazquez, M.D., F.A.C.S., Professor and Chair, DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery, University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine; Surgeon-in-Chief for University of Miami (UHealth) and Jackson Health Systems; and the David Kimmelman Endowed Chair in Vascular and Endovascular Surgery at the University of Miami Leonard M. Miller School of Medicine. Dr. Omaida Velazquez a member of the American Surgical Association (ASA), an elite group composed of the nation’s most prominent surgeons from the country’s leading academic medical institutions. She is a nationally and internationally renowned surgeon-scientist, recognized within her field and the broader community of physician scientists, as seen by her induction into the American Society for Clinical Investigators (ASCI). Her seminal contributions in pre-clinical and clinical research are numerous. Her preclinical research centers on stem cells and angiogenesis, wound healing, atherosclerosis, and limb salvage, all related to peripheral vascular disease (PVD) and vascular complications of Diabetes. Dr. Velazquez’s team publishes in high-impact scientific journals such as Stem Cells, Journal Clinical Investigation, Mol Cell Biol, Atherosclerosis, and PLoS One. She has continuous NIH funding for over 15 years. Her discoveries yielded several patents with great translational potential and discovered mechanisms for homing and pro-repair functions of stem cells in post-natal revascularization of ischemic tissue. These findings have paved the way to ongoing clinical trials for PVD and diabetic non-healing wounds. These unsolved pathologies account for over one hundred thousand amputations annually, in the U.S. alone. Recently, Velazquez’s work led to the development of a new gene/cell therapy that may one day eradiate most amputations. In regards to clinical research, she publishes in the top Surgery journals, such as Annals of Surgery and Journal of Vascular Surgery. Dr. Velazquez has advanced clinical endovascular treatments for PVD and Aneurysmal disease. Her work is highly quoted, accounting for an H-index of 43. Her contributions have enhanced clinical protocols and promise to advance care for several unsolved vascular diseases. Her leadership as an academic surgeon is greatly valued as evidenced by her appointment as the first Latina Surgeon-Chief in the USA. In addition to her roles as a surgeon and a scientist, Dr. Velazquez served as the Executive Dean of Research, Research Education and Innovative Medicine for the Miller School of Medicine from 2012 to 2015. Under her leadership, investigators across campus acknowledged her contributions to the clinical research infrastructure enhancement; administrative processes were de-mystified and interdepartmental communications increased. Dr. Velazquez is a member of the UHealth Joint Operational Leadership Team (JOLT) and Chairs the Workforce Management Committee (Resilience and Recovery) during the COVID-19 pandemic crisis. Dr. Velazquez obtained her B.S. from Stevens Institute of Technology in 1987 and obtained M.D. degree from the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey, New Jersey Medical School graduating Valedictorian in her class of 1991. She completed her post-graduate training in General and Vascular Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. In addition to her clinical training, she pursued additional years in research and was the recipient of the 1997 Jonathan E. Rhoads Research Award. She received the von Liebig Foundation Award for Excellence in Vascular Surgical Research (2001), the University of Pennsylvania Center of Excellence Faculty Scholar Award (2002), and the Joel J. Roslyn Faculty Research Award (2003) from the Society of University Surgeons. Before joining the Miller School of Medicine, Dr. Velazquez served on the faculty at the University of Pennsylvania for eight years and became an Associate Professor with tenure.