Meet Jiajie Zhang | Dean of McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jiajie Zhang and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jiajie, other than deciding to work for yourself, what else do you think played a pivotal role in your story?
I am the dean of McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston, the largest and only free-standing school among 100 similar programs in the nation. The school has one of the largest programs of its kind in the world. I became interim dean of McWilliams School in 2012, and was appointed dean in 2013. Notably, 2012 also marked the beginning of the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution, as indicated by a pioneering breakthrough in deep learning—an AI method that teaches computers to process data in a manner similar to the human brain. The method is credited to Geoff Hinton, PhD, professor emeritus at the University of Toronto, and his research group. While I attended UC San Diego as a doctoral student, Hinton and I had some academic career overlap in the Institute for Cognitive Science, which is also known as the birthplace of deep learning. Thus, I was hyper aware of the transformational force of AI that would exponentially enhance humankind’s ability to solve real-world problems at an industrial scale. Early in my tenure as dean, and to the present day, I have dedicated myself to recruiting the most talented faculty in informatics to work with me on building education and research programs that are focused on big data and AI. Today, McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston is a national leader in medical AI. My determination to focus on AI as a future driver of innovation and discovery in medicine was far from random—and, it turns out, this decision has been pivotal to my success.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
Dean of McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
My favorite spots in Houston and the surrounding area, as well as the itinerary for my visiting friend, would include: 1. A tour of the talent, infrastructure, and work of McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics at UTHealth Houston.
2. A tour of UT Physicians, the clinical practice of McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, to showcase how these clinicians care for our patients through the use of advanced technology.
3. A two-day trip to the SpaceX Starbase and the Tesla Megafactory for inspiration on what “no-boundary” thinking can bring to the nation and humankind.
4. A half-day hiking trip in Memorial Park; once immersed in the woods, you believe you’re in a forest with absolutely no city in close proximity.
5. Dinner at Peking Cuisine, where you can enjoy Peking duck that is equal to, or better than, the dish that is actually served in Beijing.
6. A round of golf at Wildcat Golf Club—formerly an oilfield, the wasteland of which now forms the Wildcat’s stellar Highlands and Lakes golf courses (both courses feature 18 holes).
7. The final dinner for my visiting friend is at Amore Italian Restaurant, which is small but elegant; I would recommend the Tagliolini truffle pasta and other delicacies.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My first shoutout goes to the faculty, students, staff, volunteer leadership, and donors with McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics. They have been so instrumental to our progress over the years. Their dedication, vision, and (yes) hard work have made our school a national powerhouse for medical AI. My second shoutout goes to the visionary UTHealth Houston President Giuseppe Colasurdo, MD, and the collaborating faculty, staff, and volunteer leadership associated with our parent university, its teaching hospitals, and related entities. Without the trust and unwavering support of the aforementioned, the advancement of McWilliams School of Biomedical Informatics as a top-tier school in medical AI and related programs would not have been possible.

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