Our lab advances surgical data and decision sciences through deep knowledge about surgical data, rigorous analytics skills and decision-making models paired with clinical expertise. Through this we improve surgical care, outcomes and learning.  

We create data-driven approaches and evidence-based strategies that: 

• Inform surgeon choices
• Enhance patient safety
• Speed surgical learning and mastery
• Improve efficiency and effectiveness of surgical interventions 

Explore more about our surgical data and decision sciences:

• Research projects
• Training programs
• Lab faculty 

Surgical care is in an era of transformation. Surgical data and decision sciences, a union of clinical expertise and data analytics, can now develop approaches to navigate clinical uncertainties. It can direct surgeons and patients to better-informed choices, and physicians to data-driven decisions tailored to each patient. 

By sifting through vast datasets, we can identify correlations, refine techniques and push the boundaries of surgical innovation. These insights can then become the new cornerstones of clinical evidence-based practice. Surgical medical education can also benefit from this transformation.  

To best realize data’s promise, surgeons must weigh ethical considerations, patient privacy, and the balance between human judgment and algorithmic guidance. We are helping lead this discussion as we advance surgical data and decision sciences research. 

We investigate approaches in both clinical and learning decision and data science to improve surgical care and outcomes, including: 

• Natural language processing to understand the scope of knowledge about operations in surgical education
• An ontological framework to measure relatedness of operations
• Mapping assessment and perception-derived learning curves in surgery
• Measuring user experience and usability metrics driving surgical skill assessment
• Machine learning driving entrustability modeling
• Telehealth visits to increase accessibility of thoracic oncology care  

Our team also advances surgical decision-making through innovation and national leadership. 

In 2022, Dr. Ruchi Thanawala founded Firefly, a comprehensive medical education platform she developed. Firefly is now a national nonprofit serving multiple medical education specialties. 

In 2024, Dr. Thanawala was appointed to a three-year term on the Society of American Gastrointestinal and Endoscopic Surgeons Ingenuity Board. She was selected from two dozen applicants for one of two board positions and currently serves as Secretary and Treasurer. 

Dr. Thanawala’s and Dr. Doberne’s publication lists are available through the National Library of Medicine. Recent studies include: 

Defining the Clinical Informatics Knowledge Gap in General Surgery: Evaluation of Resident Experience and Perspectives 
Journal of Surgical Education, Nov 2025 
Anderson T, Jenkins P, Doberne J, Mohan V, Thanawala R. 

Extending the reach of thoracic surgical oncology with telehealth 
Annals of Thoracic Surgery Short Reports, April 21, 2025 
Sewell M, Mohammadi M, Kilbourne M, Grunkemeier G, Schipper P, Doberne J, Thanawala R.  

The impact of AI on surgery residency programs: improving competency, performance, and the future
Global Surgical Education, Journal of the Association for Surgical Education
Sewell M, Mohammadi M, Kilbourne M, Grunkemeier G, Schipper P, Doberne J, Thanawala R. 

Case report: The natural history of congenital pulmonary airway malformations diagnosed in adulthood.
JTCVS Techniques, 2024
Chang, C., Sukumar, M. and Thanawala, R. 

Finding Comfort in Discomfort…Reflecting on Stories Told
Journal of Surgical Research, 2024
Vitous, C., Bamdad, M., Bankhead, B., McElroy, I., Mogal, H., Thanawala, R., Ghaferi, A.  

Explore more publications by Dr. Thanawala 

Our lab funds training pathways for students, residents and fellows to prepare the generation of surgical data scientists. Pathways include: 

• T32 Post-Doctoral Training in Translational Science and Cardiovascular Research, through the OHSU Knight Cardiovascular Institute
• University-based Biomedical Informatics and Data Science Research Training Programs, through the National Library of Medicine