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Andrea Cooley, DO, FACOS (she/her/hers)

Cardiothoracic Surgeon
University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine
University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine

Andrea Cooley, DO, FACOS is a board certified cardiothoracic surgeon, Associate Professor of Medical Education, and Assistant Dean for Clinical Experience at the University of Texas at Tyler School of Medicine. She completed nine years of surgical training, including heart and lung transplantation and an advanced pediatric cardiac surgery fellowship. She then practiced for seven years at UT Health East Texas, where she witnessed the devastating impact of rural health disparities and resource limitations. As a member of the founding leadership team of this new medical school, she transitioned full-time into her academic role to spearhead innovative strategies in medical education and enhance rural health initiatives. Dr Cooley is a Harvard Macy Institute Scholar (Program for Educators in Health Professions in 2022, Leading Innovation in Health Care and Education in 2023, and Systems Approach to Assessment in Health Professions Education in 2024). She bases her work on the disruptive innovation business model and employs design thinking within a systems-based framework to enhance experiences for physicians, healthcare workers, and patients. In 2025, she joined the Harvard Macy Institute faculty to co-teach the Leading Innovation in Health Care and Education program alongside colleagues from Harvard Medical School and Harvard Business School, where she develops curriculum and mentors emerging leaders in healthcare innovation. Dr Cooley directs a comprehensive systems-based initiative to advance healthcare delivery in low resource communities by leveraging emerging technology. Within the Institute for Health Innovation Data Science and Research, she develops and leads the full-scale initiative that guides her research agenda. She collaborates closely with global executives from technology companies, academic institutions, life science firms, pharmaceutical companies, nonprofit organizations, and public health agencies. Her work applies big data analytics and agentic AI to create scalable cross-sector solutions that integrate clinical education, population health strategies, and digital infrastructure for sustainable impact.

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