Juan Brito, M.B.B.S., wins Early Career Award
Juan Brito, M.B.B.S.
Keeping the human touch in healthcare
As artificial intelligence (AI) advances and is increasingly incorporated into healthcare, some worry that medicine will lose the essential human touch.
Juan Brito, M.B.B.S. (CTSA ’14, ENDO ’14), not only guards against a future where healthcare is stripped of humanity, but believes that technology like AI can be used to better serve patients, says Robert Wermers, M.D. (I ’93, ENDO ’96), chair of the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism and Nutrition at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
“While AI is often used to increase efficiency and address information gaps in healthcare, Dr. Brito recognizes its potential to enhance the very essence of patient care — ensuring that technology supports, rather than replaces, empathy, understanding and human connection,” Dr. Wermers says.
Dr. Brito is a professor of medicine at Mayo Clinic College of Medicine and Science and a consultant in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism and Nutrition at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
Dr. Brito has made numerous contributions to research at the intersection of AI and patient care, particularly through his role as director of the Care and AI Laboratory at Mayo Clinic. Through his work in the lab, Dr. Brito has created an AI model to analyze patient-clinician interactions, improving communication and care quality.
As chair of innovation and quality in the Division of Endocrinology, Dr. Brito has led innovations in AI-assisted screening for primary aldosteronism and diagnosis and risk stratification of thyroid cancer. This work includes the Virtual Thyroid Cancer Registry, which automates data extraction, personalizes treatment and facilitates large-scale clinical research. He is also the medical director of Mayo Clinic’s Shared Decision Making National Resource Center and has developed tools that enhance shared decision-making, ensuring patients remain active participants in their healthcare.
Outside of the realm of AI, Dr. Brito’s research has uncovered drivers of thyroid cancer overdiagnosis and led to the design of a point-of-care tool to guide patients and clinicians in determining whether active surveillance or surgical intervention for small, low-risk thyroid cancer is appropriate. His research on levothyroxine prescribing patterns has helped discourage unnecessary treatment for subclinical hypothyroidism, especially in older adults. He also completed a study comparing brand-name and generic levothyroxine in terms of hypothyroidism control, informing and improving patient care. These efforts have led to a reduction in unnecessary treatments and surgeries and reshaped clinical practice guidelines.
Dr. Brito has been internationally recognized by top professional societies with awards such as a Van Meter Award from the American Thyroid Association, an Early Investigator Award from the Endocrine Society and a Rising Star in Endocrinology Award from the American Association of Clinical Endocrinology. He has secured multiple National Institutes of Health grants, including R01 awards and an R37 MERIT Award from the National Cancer Institute, demonstrating his ability to lead high-impact research. Dr. Brito has over 250 peer-reviewed publications, including 100 co-authored with mentees, and over 17,500 citations.
Through it all, Dr. Brito maintains his priority on patient care, says Victor Montori, M.D. (I ’99, CMR ’00, CLRSH ’01, ENDO ’02), a consultant in the Division of Endocrinology, Diabetes, Metabolism and Nutrition and the Robert H. and Susan M. Rewoldt Professor of Endocrinology Honoring Daniel L. Hurley, M.D., at Mayo Clinic in Minnesota.
“He is a trusted and beloved clinician, who centers himself on the patient before knocking on the exam room door, smiling and greeting the patient,” says Dr. Montori. “To patients and families, he is thorough and rigorous. He accompanies patients through their struggles with warmth, kindness, patience and tenacity.”
The Early and Mid-Career Alumni Awards recognize Mayo Clinic alumni who have made robust contributions to their areas of expertise in the realms of education, clinical practice, clinical and scientific research, and administration. Beyond their professional output, they demonstrate selfless community service and have consistently acted in a manner that is aligned with Mayo Clinic values. Read about the other 2024 recipients here.
Illustrations by Nigel Buchanan