Niki Rashidian

Niki Rashidian is a Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgeon at Ghent University Hospital and Professor of Innovative Computer-Assisted Surgery at Ghent University. She leads the Training and Research Institute for Surgical Artificial Intelligence (TRISAI), a multidisciplinary lab focused on developing clinically relevant AI tools for surgical planning, intraoperative support, and performance analysis.

She earned her PhD at Ghent University, where her research integrated computer science, 3D modeling, and artificial intelligence to enhance preoperative planning for complex hepatobiliary tumors. Her ongoing work lies at the intersection of surgery and technology, with a particular focus on computer vision and machine learning applications in the operating room for surgical scene understanding and performance assessment.

She completed her medical training and general surgery residency in Tehran, Iran, before pursuing advanced fellowships in Hepatobiliary and Pancreatic Surgery at Ghent University Hospital and the Catholic University of Leuven. She holds the European Board of Surgery Qualification in Minimally Invasive Surgery. Her combined background in surgical oncology and computational research allows her to approach clinical problems with a translational mindset, integrating innovation into daily surgical practice.

She also serves as Director of Research and Skills Development at ORSI Academy, where she leads initiatives in surgical education, simulation, and digital metrics development. In this role, she builds academic–industry partnerships and contributes to shaping data-driven, performance-based surgical curricula.

In addition to her clinical and research activities, she teaches and supervises students in medicine and biomedical sciences. She is dedicated to mentoring students, trainees, and early-career surgeons, guiding their development into skilled and thoughtful clinicians and researchers. Her work is driven by a commitment to advancing surgical care through evidence-based innovation and high-quality education.