Dr. Julián Varas is a General Surgeon and Associate Professor at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, where he also serves as Vice Chair of the Center for Experimental Surgery and Simulation. A global leader in surgical education and simulation, Dr. Varas is dedicated to reducing human error through innovative training methods, combining rigorous research with cutting-edge technology.
He has been internationally recognized for his contributions, receiving Best International Research awards from SAGES and other surgical societies around the world. His academic work has led to the development of over 18 validated simulation training programs across various surgical disciplines, proving that well-trained residents can surpass traditionally trained surgeons in technical proficiency.
Dr. Varas is the founder and CEO of C1DO1, a pioneering educational platform born as an official spin-off from his university. Originally designed for surgical skill acquisition, the platform has now expanded to more than 70 disciplines—including engineering, nursing, and computer science—reaching over 16,000 trainees worldwide.
With visiting professorships at UCSF and McGill University, as well as participation in innovation accelerators like Y Combinator and MassChallenge, Dr. Varas bridges academia, clinical practice, and tech entrepreneurship. His patented methodologies and AI-driven training tools are redefining the future of medical education.
He is also a frequent keynote speaker, TED Talk presenter, and active member of numerous global surgical societies. His mission is clear: to democratize access to high-quality training, anywhere and anytime.
Selected publications from PubMed
Asynchronous Technical Feedback: A Workshop for Training Surgical Instructors.
Brian R, Gomes C, Figueroa Fernández Ú, Silvestri C, Lund S, Cruz E, Navarro S, Varas J, Jarry C, O'Sullivan PS
MedEdPORTAL. 2025;21:11519 doi: 10.15766/mep_2374-8265.11519.
International expert consensus on the current status and future prospects of artificial intelligence in metabolic and bariatric surgery.
Kermansaravi M, Chiappetta S, Shahabi Shahmiri S, Varas J, Parmar C, Lee Y, Dang JT, Shabbir A, Hashimoto D, Davarpanah Jazi AH, Meireles OR, Aarts E, Almomani H, Alqahtani A, Aminian A, Behrens E, Birk D, Cantu FJ, Cohen RV, De Luca M, Di Lorenzo N, Dillemans B, ElFawal MH, Felsenreich DM, Gagner M, Galvan HG, Galvani C, Gawdat K, Ghanem OM, Haddad A, Himpens J, Kasama K, Kassir R, Khoursheed M, Khwaja H, Kow L, Lainas P, Lakdawala M, Tello RL, Mahawar K, Marchesini C, Masrur MA, Meza C, Musella M, Nimeri A, Noel P, Palermo M, Pazouki A, Ponce J, Prager G, Quiróz-Guadarrama CD, Rheinwalt KP, Rodriguez JG, Saber AA, Salminen P, Shikora SA, Stenberg E, Stier CK, Suter M, Szomstein S, Taskin HE, Vilallonga R, Wafa A, Yang W, Zorron R, Torres A, Kroh M, Zundel N
Sci Rep. 2025 Mar 18;15(1):9312 doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-94335-0.
Opportunities and Applications of Educational Technologies in Surgical Education and Assessment.
Fried GM, Varas J, Telem DA, Greenberg CC, Hashimoto DA, Paige JT, Pugh C
Ann Surg. 2025 Jan 1;281(1):34-39 doi: 10.1097/SLA.0000000000006367.
From FUSE to a hands-on electrosurgery course using a cadaveric model.
Moller F, Figueroa Ú, Miguieles M, Belmar F, Jarry C, Varas J, Searle S, Soza JF, Botello E
Surg Endosc. 2024 Sep;38(9):4996-5005 doi: 10.1007/s00464-024-11033-0.
An At-Home Laparoscopic Curriculum for Junior Residents in Surgery, Obstetrics/Gynecology, and Urology.
Brian R, Bayne D, Ito T, Lager J, Edwards A, Kumar S, Soriano I, O'Sullivan P, Varas J, Chern H
MedEdPORTAL. 2024;20:11405 doi: 10.15766/mep_2374-8265.11405.
Dr. Julián Varas is a General Surgeon and Associate Professor at the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, where he also serves as Vice Chair of the Center for Experimental Surgery and Simulation. A global leader in surgical education and simulation, Dr. Varas is dedicated to reducing human error through innovative training methods, combining rigorous research with cutting-edge technology. He has been internationally recognized for his contributions, receiving Best International Research awards from SAGES and other surgical societies around the world. His academic work has led to the development of over 18 validated simulation training programs across various surgical disciplines, proving that well-trained residents can surpass traditionally trained surgeons in technical proficiency. Dr. Varas is the founder and CEO of C1DO1, a pioneering educational platform born as an official spin-off from his university. Originally designed for surgical skill acquisition, the platform has now expanded to more than 70 disciplines—including engineering, nursing, and computer science—reaching over 16,000 trainees worldwide. With visiting professorships at UCSF and McGill University, as well as participation in innovation accelerators like Y Combinator and MassChallenge, Dr. Varas bridges academia, clinical practice, and tech entrepreneurship. His patented methodologies and AI-driven training tools are redefining the future of medical education. He is also a frequent keynote speaker, TED Talk presenter, and active member of numerous global surgical societies. His mission is clear: to democratize access to high-quality training, anywhere and anytime.
Published
May 2025
The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) into residency training is reshaping medical education, focusing on improving surgical performance and preparing future healthcare professionals.
With Johnson & Johnson MedTech
Published
Jun 2024
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