University of Texas Faculty Charles Taylor Named Member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities

Charles A. Taylor, Professor of Internal Medicine and Director of the Center for Computational Medicine at The University of Texas at Austin, has been elected as a Corresponding Member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities, one of Europe’s oldest and most prestigious scientific societies. He is among 13 scholars elected this year and the only American among the newly elected members.

Taylor said he was surprised and deeply honored when he received the news. “This was a surprise. I found out when I received an email notice from the President of the Academy,” said Taylor. “It is a great honor to be elected to this society considering the fact that it is one of the oldest and most prestigious scientific societies.”

About Taylor’s Research

Taylor’s election recognizes three decades of groundbreaking contributions to computational modeling of cardiovascular systems. In 1995, he was the first to leverage medical imaging and mathematical models to compute blood flow in the cardiovascular system of actual patients. In 2010, he co-founded HeartFlow, one of the most successful digital health care companies in the world, transforming diagnosis and treatment of heart disease by developing first-of-their-kind, noninvasive AI and computer simulation methods that have been used in over 500,000 patients and are part of the standard of care worldwide. 

His research focuses on creating patient‑specific computational models of the cardiovascular system using medical imaging data. These models are known as medical digital twins and can be used to improve the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease, including heart disease. Many have already begun translation into clinical practice. His pioneering work earned him election to the National Academy of Engineering in 2024.

“I have been particularly focused on creating technology that can be used to improve the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease,” Taylor said. “It has been a privilege to translate my research into clinical practice and see the benefit to patients, something that I value greatly.”

A Transformative First Year at UT Austin

Taylor joined UT Austin in January 2025 and holds a joint appointment between the Oden Institute for Computational Engineering and Sciences and Dell Medical School. His first year has been marked by rapid progress and ambitious program building.

“This first year at UT has gone by very fast! When I first discussed this position with the Director of the Oden Institute, Karen Willcox, and the Dean of the Medical School, Claudia Lucchinetti, in the fall of 2024, I was so excited to join UT. I couldn't wait to get started,” said Taylor. “I had very high expectations in coming here, but these have been greatly exceeded. I am ‘all‑in’ on helping realize the vision for a ‘hospital of the future’ coming to UT in the next five years and AI‑enabled medical digital twins will be a part of this.”

During his first year, Taylor has focused much of his effort on learning about the University and developing a comprehensive research program in computational medicine. “My initial research focus is on creating medical digital twins for cardiovascular and pulmonary diseases in children and adults. Our ‘moonshot’ is to create the most comprehensive digital heart and lung models that are also patient-specific,” said Taylor. 

Working with Paul Mueller, M.D., Chairman of Internal Medicine at Dell Medical School, Taylor plans to establish an Advanced Cardiovascular Imaging program with an emphasis on screening and prevention of heart disease.  “In pulmonary medicine, my group has started a project on interstitial lung diseases. Our aim is to create patient-specific digital twin models to couple blood flow in the pulmonary vascular system with gas exchange in the airways."

Taylor is also working with Mark Arnold and the University of Texas at Austin Discovery to Impact team to launch a Digital Twins Venture Studio with a goal of supporting faculty, staff and students motivated to create digital healthcare companies.  

“This election is a testament to Charley’s remarkable contributions, and we are thrilled to see his work recognized on the global stage. Having Charley join UT Austin has been transformative for the Oden Institute and for Dell Medical School,” said Willcox. “In just one year, he has built ambitious research programs, formed major international collaborations, and energized our efforts to push the boundaries of what computational medicine can do. This prestigious honor reflects both his extraordinary career and the impact he is already having here at UT.”

About the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities

With the 2026 elections, The Academy now comprises 217 full members, 102 corresponding members, 21 associate members, and two honorary members. Election to the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities is one of the highest academic honors in Bavaria. Members are selected for their groundbreaking discoveries, innovative methods, or transformative contributions that have significantly advanced their fields. The election is conducted exclusively by the Academy’s full assembly. Regular members of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities live or work in the region and actively contribute their expertise to the Academy. Corresponding members may be based anywhere in the world and represent the Academy’s global network.