Jihad Kaouk, MD

• Co-founder and Chief Medical Officer. Method Surgical AI - May 2021 – present
• Chair, Scientific Advisory Board. Method Surgical AI - May 2021 – present
• Vice Chair, Enterprise Surgical Operations. Cleveland Clinic - 2018 – present
• Founder and Director, Biomedical Engineering lab (ASPIRE lab)- Automation of Surgical Procedures through Intelligent Robotic Enhancement. Lerner Research Institute, Cleveland Clinic - 2018 – present
• Cleveland Clinic Medical Devices Advisory Board (MDAC), member. - 2017 – present
• Biomedical Engineering Staff. Cleveland Clinic - 2017 – present
• Surgical Operations, Chair of Enterprise Robotic Committee. Cleveland Clinic - September 2015- present
• Professor of Surgery. Cleveland Clinic, Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western University,  Cleveland, Ohio - 2010-Present
• Institute Vice Chair for Surgical Innovations. Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute, Cleveland Clinic - 2010-Present
• Zegarac-Pollock Endowed Chair in Minimally Invasive Surgery. Cleveland Clinic, Glickman Urological and Kidney Institute. - 2010-Present
• Director, Center for Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgery. Cleveland Clinic, Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute - 2008-Present
• Associate Professor of Surgery. Cleveland Clinic, Lerner College of Medicine of Case Western University, Cleveland, Ohio - 2007–2010
• Co-Director, Robotic Urologic Surgery. Cleveland Clinic, Glickman Urological Institute, Section of Laparoscopic and Minimally Invasive Surgery, Cleveland, Ohio - 2004-2008
• Staff, Center for Laparoscopic and Robotic Surgery. Staff, Center for Kidney Transplantation. Cleveland Clinic, Glickman Urological & Kidney Institute, Cleveland, Ohio USA - 2002-Present

Dr. Kaouk earned his medical degree from the American University of Beirut and completed advanced training at Cleveland Clinic. He is board certified by the American Board of Urology and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal College of Surgeons of Glasgow (FRCS). He has mentored more than 100 fellows worldwide and contributed to training programs across leading academic centers, advancing surgical education globally. 

Dr. Kaouk has received more than 70 national and international honors, including:

• AUA Distinguished Contribution Award (2024)
• Vattikuti Foundation International Innovation Award (2022)
• Cleveland Clinic Innovator Award
• Teacher of the Year Award
• Endourology Society Best Fellowship Program Director Award
• Healthgrades Outstanding Patient Experience Award (2023–2025)
• Ranked among top worldwide by Expertscape in robotic surgical procedures
• Cleveland Magazine Top Urologist

Dr. Kaouk has played a central role in shaping modern urology through national and international leadership, including:

• Chair, Department of Urology, Cleveland Clinic
• Former Chair, AUA New Technology and Imaging Committee
• Past President, Society of Urologic Robotic Surgery (SURS)
• Past President, Engineering and Urology Society (EUS)
• Board Member, Endourological Society
• Charter member, Society of Robotic Surgery (SRS)
• Member, American College of Surgeons (FACS)
• Honorary Member, Royal College of Surgeons, Glasgow (FRCS)
• Member, American Association of Genitourinary Surgeons (AAGUS)

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Dr. Kaouk is among the most highly cited urologic surgeons worldwide, with:

• H-index: 106
• 630+ peer-reviewed publications
• 75 book chapters
• Over 46,000 citations
• 350+ invited lectures globally

He is Founder and Editor-in-Chief of the Urology Video Journal, helping shape modern surgical education through high-impact visual learning platforms.

Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists collaborate with industry to advance medical breakthroughs. These partnerships help commercialize discoveries for public benefit while maintaining scientific integrity. To ensure transparency and minimize potential bias, Cleveland Clinic reviews these relationships and publicly discloses when physicians/scientists receive significant compensation for consulting, serve in fiduciary roles, receive royalties, or hold equity interests related to their work. We manage potential conflicts through approval processes, annual reporting, and targeted management plans.

As of 2026-03-20, Dr. Kaouk has reported the financial relationships with the companies listed below.

Fiduciary Role. Dr. Kaouk serves in a fiduciary capacity, such as an elected officer, director or chief medical officer, for the following companies or other entities:

• Method AI, Inc.

Consulting and/or Speaking. Dr. Kaouk receives fees of $5,000 or more per year (or, in rare cases, equity or stock options) as a paid consultant, speaker or as a member of an advisory committee for the following companies:

• Endoquest Robotics
• Vascular Technology, Inc. (VTI)
• Lexion

Public Health Service-Reportable Financial Conflicts of Interest. Cleveland Clinic scientists and physicians engage in basic, translational and clinical research activities, working to solve health problems, enhance patient care and improve quality of life for patients. Interactions with industry are essential to bringing the researchers' discoveries to the public, but can present the potential for conflicts of interest related to their research activities. Click here to view a listing of instances where Cleveland Clinic has identified a Public Health Service (PHS)-Reportable Financial Conflict of Interest and has put measures in place to ensure that, to the extent possible, the design, conduct and reporting of the research is free from bias.

* Cleveland Clinic physicians and scientists subscribe to the guidance presented in the PhRMA Code on Interactions with Healthcare Professionals and the AdvaMed Code of Ethics on Interactions with Health Care Professionals. As such, gifts of substantial value are generally prohibited.