Raja Flores, MD, MPH ’04
Q&A with Raja Flores, MD, MPH ’04
Chairman for the Department of Thoracic Surgery, Steven and Ann Ames Professor in Thoracic Surgery at the Mount Sinai Health System
Published March 17, 2026
Raja M. Flores, Chairman of the Department of Thoracic Surgery and Steven and Ann Ames Professor in Thoracic Surgery at the Mount Sinai Health System, has built a career defined by surgical innovation, rigorous research, and public impact. A pioneer in minimally invasive lung cancer surgery and a leader in mesothelioma research, Dr. Flores also earned a Master’s in Biostatistics from Columbia—training that continues to shape his approach to clinical science and leadership.
1. Please tell us briefly about your career. What is your current role? What are the major milestones in your career journey?
I currently serve as Chairman of the Department of Thoracic Surgery at the Mount Sinai Health System and the Steven and Ann Ames Professor in Thoracic Surgery. My clinical and academic career has focused on lung and esophageal cancer and mesothelioma, with an emphasis on improving surgical techniques and outcomes for patients with thoracic malignancies. Over the years, I have been particularly interested in advancing minimally invasive approaches to lung cancer surgery and in studying the biology and treatment of mesothelioma.
Several milestones stand out in my career journey. Early on, I became deeply involved in developing and studying minimally invasive surgery for lung cancer and in improving surgical outcomes for esophageal cancer. These efforts helped move the field toward less invasive operations with faster recovery for patients. My research has also focused on mesothelioma and environmental asbestos exposure, including work through the Libby Epidemiology Research Program. Along the way, leading clinical trials, mentoring trainees, and helping build academic surgical programs have been among the most meaningful parts of the journey.
2. What accomplishments are you most proud of? What do you enjoy most about your work?
What I am most proud of is helping move the field forward while training the next generation of surgeons. Surgery is unique in that progress happens through both innovation and mentorship. Seeing former trainees go on to build their own programs, develop new ideas, and care for patients around the world is incredibly rewarding.
I also take pride in contributing to research that changes how we think about diseases like lung cancer and mesothelioma. When a study helps clarify how we should treat patients or challenges assumptions in the field, that is deeply satisfying. But ultimately, the most meaningful part of the work remains the patients themselves. Thoracic surgery involves some of the most serious diseases we treat in medicine, and helping patients through those moments is a privilege that never gets old.
3. You earned both your MD and a Master’s in Biostatistics. What initially motivated you to pursue public health training after practicing clinical medicine? How has your time at Columbia Mailman influenced your career?
After years in clinical practice and surgical research, I realized that many of the most important questions in medicine require a strong understanding of epidemiology, statistics, and population-level thinking. I wanted to design better studies, analyze data more rigorously, and approach clinical questions with a stronger methodological foundation. That motivation led me to Columbia’s Mailman School of Public Health.
My time at Mailman strengthened the way I approach clinical research. Training in biostatistics sharpened my ability to critically evaluate the medical literature and to design studies that answer meaningful questions. It also reinforced the idea that medicine does not happen in isolation. Disease patterns, environmental exposures, and population health all shape the problems physicians confront in the clinic and operating room. Columbia has a long tradition of connecting rigorous science with real-world impact, and that perspective has influenced how I think about both research and leadership.
4. As someone who has led multicenter trials and secured major federal funding, how important is formal research training for physicians seeking to shape standards of care?
Formal research training is extremely important for physicians who want to influence how medicine evolves. Clinical intuition and experience are essential, but changing standards of care require rigorous evidence. Understanding study design, statistics, and bias allows physicians to ask better questions and interpret results more responsibly.
For surgeons in particular, there has historically been a gap between clinical innovation and formal scientific evaluation. Bridging that gap is essential. When physicians have strong research training, they can translate observations from the operating room into well-designed studies that ultimately improve care for patients everywhere.
5. Your work on mesothelioma and asbestos exposure through the Libby Epidemiology Research Program bridges surgery and environmental health. How do you see thoracic surgery, or medicine more broadly, intersecting with public health?
Thoracic surgery sits at an interesting intersection of clinical medicine and public health because many of the diseases we treat are closely tied to environmental or behavioral exposures. Lung cancer is strongly linked to smoking and air quality, while mesothelioma is one of the clearest examples of a disease caused by occupational and environmental exposure to asbestos.
The Libby Epidemiology Research Program highlighted how environmental exposure can shape disease patterns across entire communities. For physicians, this is a reminder that treating disease is only part of the equation. Preventing exposure and understanding the broader determinants of health are just as important. In that sense, surgery and public health are deeply connected.
6. What do you do to have fun and stay grounded? What are some unexpected aspects of your journey that students might find inspiring?
One lesson I have learned over the years is that careers in medicine do not have to follow a single path. In addition to my clinical and research work, I have had the opportunity to engage in areas outside traditional academic medicine, including public policy and civic life. Those experiences reinforced my belief that physicians can and should participate in broader conversations about society, health, and leadership.
I also believe strongly in continuing education. In fact, I will be graduating from Columbia’s School of Journalism in two months. Going back to school later in life has been incredibly rewarding. It reminds you what it feels like to be a student again, to ask questions, and to learn from people in completely different fields. In many ways, it has brought me back into the Columbia community from a different direction. For anyone considering further education later in their career, I would strongly encourage it. The experience can be both humbling and energizing.
Outside of work, spending time with family is what keeps me grounded. Surgery is an intense profession, and maintaining perspective is important. I also enjoy mentoring students and young physicians who are exploring different paths in medicine. Watching them discover their own interests and passions reminds me how dynamic and meaningful a career in medicine can be.