James Hotaling, MD, has been appointed the inaugural chief innovation officer of Salt Lake City-based University of Utah Health, effective Sept. 1.
Dr. Hotaling, who has been a professor of urology at the University of Utah since 2013, most recently served as associate vice president of research for innovation and translation. He launched University of Utah Ventures, a collaboration with Salt Lake City venture capital firm Epic Ventures, earlier in 2025. He reports directly to the CEO.
“As our first chief innovation officer, he will unite research, clinical care, education and commercialization into a single innovation enterprise,” stated Bob Carter, MD, PhD, CEO and executive vice president for health sciences at University of Utah Health, in a Sept. 18 news release, “expanding partnerships, accelerating responsible AI and digital solutions, and building clear pathways that help our faculty and teams bring breakthroughs to the bedside.”
University of Utah Health is a five-hospital, $6.3 billion system.
