Joseph J. Dubose, MD

Biography

Joseph DuBose, MD, has been named the chief of the Division of Vascular Surgery in the Department of Cardiothoracic and Vascular Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, effective Sept. 1.

Dubose, an internationally recognized vascular and trauma surgeon with extensive military and academic leadership experience, returns to Houston and McGovern Medical School, where he completed his vascular surgery fellowship in 2015 and later was a surgical faculty member.

Most recently, DuBose served as professor of surgery at Dell Medical School at The University of Texas at Austin, where he held appointments in the Department of Surgery and Perioperative Care and Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery. His leadership roles at Dell Medical School included serving as surgical lead for process improvement and chair of the Quality Improvement Committee.

A nationally recognized expert in vascular trauma and hemorrhage control, DuBose has helped lead numerous multicenter studies examining the treatment of vascular injuries. His research includes the Prospective Observational Vascular Injury Trial, or PROOVIT; the Aortic Occlusion in Trauma and Acute Care Surgery study; and the Aortic Trauma Foundation Blunt Thoracic Aortic Injury Registry. He also served as co-primary investigator on a Department of Defense-funded study examining tissue-engineered vascular conduits for vascular trauma repair.

DuBose is president of the Aortic Trauma Foundation and has held numerous leadership positions with organizations including the American Association for the Surgery of Trauma, American College of Surgeons, Eastern Association for the Surgery of Trauma, and Society for Vascular Surgery. He serves on the scientific advisory council for the Coalition for National Trauma Research and joined the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma’s central committee in 2025.

Before and throughout much of his academic career, DuBose served in the U.S. Air Force Medical Corps, ultimately achieving the rank of colonel. His military surgical experience included deployments in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation Enduring Freedom, and Operation Inherent Resolve, providing trauma surgical care. From 2017-21, he directed the Baltimore Center for the Sustainment of Trauma and Readiness Skills at the R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center. His military decorations include the Bronze Star with one oak leaf cluster, Defense Meritorious Service Medal, and Meritorious Service Medal with one oak leaf cluster.

His previous leadership experience also includes serving as chief of vascular surgery and program director of the Vascular Surgery Residency Program at David Grant Medical Center at Travis Air Force Base in California.

DuBose earned his medical degree from the University of Virginia School of Medicine after completing a bachelor’s degree in biology at Virginia Military Institute. He completed general surgery training at Keesler Medical Center and the University of Virginia, followed by a surgical critical care fellowship at the Los Angeles General Medical Center. He completed his vascular surgery fellowship at UTHealth Houston and is board-certified in general surgery, surgical critical care, and vascular surgery by the American Board of Surgery.

He is a fellow of the American College of Surgeons, Society of Critical Care Medicine, and Society for Vascular Surgery. His academic work includes extensive research and publications in vascular trauma, hemorrhage control, endovascular techniques, and trauma care. He is an editorial board member for the Journal of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery and associate editor for vascular trauma for Trauma Surgery and Acute Care Open.