Omaida C Velazquez, MD

Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm (AAA) repair (both open surgery and catheter surgery (EVAR)), carotid artery repair in the neck (both open surgery and carotid stent), peripheral vascular disease (PVD) in the legs, peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in the legs, both stent and bypasses of the legs, lower extremity limb salvage.

Vascular regeneration and limb salvage through standard of care bypass and stents, as well as future options for gene and cell based new cures.

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2023    Inducted to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM)

2023    Dr. Nina Starr Braunwald Award- Association of Women Surgeons Foundation

2023    Duane G Hutson Lifetime Achievement in Education Award - University of Miami/ Jackson Health System

2023    Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency- Life Saving Miracle Award

2022    Rosalind Franklin Society Award in Science – Advances in Wound Care

2022    Nominated as inaugural holder of the Omaida C. Velazquez Endowed Chair in Vascular Surgery 

2022    City of Union City Proclamation by Mayor Brian P Stack and the Board of Commissioners

2022    Union City Board of Education Hall of Fame Award

2022    The State of New Jersey Senate Citation for Illustrious Medical career and Research in Peripheral Vascular Disease

2022    Keynote Scholar- Annual Research Symposium, Baylor College of Medicine; Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Texas Heart Institute, Houston, TX

2021    George Johnson Jr. Distinguished Professor – University of North Carolina

2021    Robert W. Binkley Visiting Professorship – University of California, SF

2021    Latina Pioneer of the Year – 20th annual Hispanic Women of Distinction Awards 

2021    Certificate of Leadership – DeWitt Daughtry Family Dept. of Surgery – University of Miami Miller School of Medicine

2019    Conrad Jobst Lecture Award – University of Michigan

2019    Rudolph Matas, MD Vascular Surgery Award – Tulane University 

2017    Miracles for Life, Leadership Excellence Award. Life Alliance Organ Recovery agency.

2017    New England Society for Vascular Surgery, Distinguished address at the 44th  Annual Meeting

2017    The Distinguished Alumnus Award, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School

2016    Rutgers University 250 Fellow, New Jersey Medical School

2015    Distinguished Graduate Award, University of Pennsylvania Hospital     

2012    Inducted, American Surgical Association

2009    Inducted, American Society for Clinical Investigation (ASCI)

2008    Society for Vascular Surgery - Distinguished Fellows Status

2007    Peer Reviewer of the Year Award Advances in Skin & Wound Care

2006-07    Who's Who in Science and Engineering

2006    Outstanding Scientists of the 21st Century

2005-06    Who's Who in the World

2004-05    Who's Who in Medicine and Healthcare

2003     Joel J. Roslyn Faculty Research Award – 2-year Association for Academic Surgery sponsored grant on Vasculogenesis

2001    Von Liebig Foundation Award for Excellence in Vascular Surgical Research

2000    The University of Pennsylvania Nominee to the W. W. Smith Charitable Trust for Cardiovascular Diseases Research

1997    Jonathan E. Rhoads Research Award

1997    Surgery Department recognition for ’97 ABSITE score- 94th percentile

1997    New Jersey Education Association Awards for Excellence- Medicine

1996    Surgery Department recognition for ‘96 ABSITE score- 98th percentile

1996    The Philadelphia Academy of Surgery Residents Research Award

1996    Harry M. Vars Research Award, American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition

1995    Surgery Department recognition for ‘95 ABSITE score- 98th percentile    

1995    New Jersey Business and Professional Women Young Careerist Award

1991    Valedictorian of UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School

1991    Association for Academic Surgery Surgical Student Research Award

1991    Dr. Gertrude Ash Memorial Award (New Jersey Medical Women’s Association) -- for student with highest grade point average

1991    Dean’s Achievement Award for academic excellence

1991    Faculty Organization Award

1991    Janet M. Glasgow Memorial Award (American Medical Women’s Association, Inc.) -- For the student with highest grade point average.

1991    Drs. Milton and Rose Prystowsky Award -- for excellence in patient care

1991    William McLean Undergraduate Programs in Technology and Medicine Alumni Research Honor Award

1990     Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Medical Society

1990     Sigma Xi Scientific Research Society

1990    Merck Manual Award for highest grade in Internal Medicine

1990    William F. Grupe Foundation, Inc. Scholarship for the Advancement of Medical Education

1989    Krans-Henle Memorial Fund Scholarship

1988    Lange Book Award -- for highest grade in Pathology

1988    William F. Grupe Foundation, Inc. Scholarship for the Advancement of Medical Education

1987    John C. Sheehan Research Achievement Award

1987    Joseph Priestly Chemistry Achievement Award

Dr. Omaida Velazquez was born in Cuba and emigrated to the U.S. (Union City, New Jersey) in her early teens during the Mariel exodus, thereafter, became a U.S. Citizen. Despite going to a public high school with limited resources, she excelled academically and went on to earn her Bachelor of Science w/ added Scientific Thesis Distinction, at Stevens Institute of Technology and then attended UMDNJ – Rutgers: New Jersey Medical School, graduating Valedictorian. She earned her General Surgery Residency and subsequent Fellowship in Vascular/Endovascular Surgery at the University of Pennsylvania. There, she also pursued two years of formal post-doctoral research training at the Harrison Department of Research, University of Pennsylvania. She joined the Penn faculty and served eight years, rising from Assistant to Associate Professor with the award of Tenure at the University of Pennsylvania. 

Dr. Velazquez relocated to Florida in 2007 when the University of Miami (UM) recruited her as the Chief of the Vascular and Endovascular Division.  There, she was promoted to Tenured Professor, served as Vice Chair for Research in the Department of Surgery, and was later appointed as the Executive Dean of Research, Research Education, and Innovative Medicine for the UM Miller School of Medicine.  In 2015, Dr. Velazquez was appointed after a national search to Chair the Department of Surgery at UM and made history becoming the first Latina woman Chair of Surgery in the U.S. She was also named the inaugural Surgeon-in-Chief at UM’s Health System and served as Chief of Surgery for the Jackson Memorial Health System. In these roles, she concurrently served as the leadership interface for the UM and Jackson Memorial surgical clinical, research and education programs at the Miami Veteran’s Administration Hospital. 

Through her 15 years of executive leadership at UM and Jackson Memorial Health Systems, Dr. Velazquez was the trailblazer servant-leader behind dozens of thriving clinical care lines and education programs, thousands of medical, surgical, and research trainees, and hundreds of surgeons, scientists, educators, allied health care professionals, and administrative team members. Regional and national reputational ranks rose under her watch, establishing, for the first time in its history, the UM DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery as a top tier national academic department of surgery. Throughout this time, she cared for thousands of patients suffering from cardiovascular diseases and diabetes in South Florida and beyond. She inspired the vascular research team towards a promising new field of vascular regenerative medicine, resulting in several UM-owned intellectual properties credited directly to her multidisciplinary and collaborative research laboratory. In recognition of her service, grateful families and community pillars donated funds to UM for an eponymous Endowed Chair honoring Dr. Velazquez and she was named 2021 Latina Pioneer of the Year. 

Dr. Velazquez is a member of the American Society for Clinical Investigators, the American Surgical Association, Southern Surgical Association (Treasurer), the Halsted Society, the Board for the Academy of Science, Engineering and Medicine of Florida (ASEMFL), the National Advisory Board for the University of Michigan Frankel Cardiovascular Center, the Board of the Jose Marti STEM Academy in Union City, NJ, and the National Academy of Medicine. Among many other professional organizations, Dr. Velazquez also serves as Distinguished Fellow of the Society for Vascular Surgery, Society of University Surgeons, and Associate Editor for Rutheford’s Vascular Surgery & Endovascular Therapy Textbook. She has been continuously funded for over 20 years, published over 200 manuscripts, served on multiple scientific review panels/study sections, and obtained several biomedical patents. One of her seminal discoveries was licensed by the University of Miami, leading to a new incubator company that is advancing new vascular cures through novel gene and cell-based approaches, Ambulero Inc. Some recent recognitions include Certificate of Leadership from the DeWitt Daughtry Family Department of Surgery; the Conrad Jobst Award at the University of Michigan; the Rudolph Matas, MD Vascular Surgery Award from Tulane University; the Distinguished Alumnus Award from Rutgers New Jersey Medical School; the Distinguished Graduate Award from The University of Pennsylvania; and the Miracles for Life Leadership Excellence Award by the Life Alliance Organ Recovery Agency.