Charles Taylor Named Member of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities

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.