“It has been the greatest honor of my career to serve the faculty, the health care team members and most importantly the children of Connecticut. My leadership has been informed by over three decades of experience in pediatric health care, medical education, research and community advocacy,” said Salazar.

“My vision as the new chair of the Department of Pediatrics at VUMC and physician-in-chief at Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt is to transform the landscape of pediatric health care through innovative, compassionate and comprehensive care for every child and family served by the health system. I will do so by inspiring confidence, involving our community, training the best generation of pediatricians, and advancing pediatric research and innovation. The goal is to provide a brighter, healthier future for the children and communities we serve and be recognized as one of the best children’s health systems in the nation.”


Salazar received his medical degree from the Universidad Javeriana, in Bogota, Colombia, and his MPH in epidemiology from the School of Public Health at the University of Minnesota. He completed a residency in pediatrics at the University of Connecticut Health Center, where he also served as chief resident, and completed a postdoctoral fellowship in pediatric infectious diseases at the University of Minnesota. He is board-certified in pediatrics and pediatric infectious diseases. He has authored and co-authored over 160 articles and book chapters.

Salazar will be joined in Nashville and at VUMC by his spouse Olga Toro-Salazar, MD, MBA, professor of Pediatrics with the University of Connecticut School of Medicine, head of Noninvasive Cardiac Imaging at Connecticut Children’s, and director and founding member of the Pediatric Cardio-Oncology program.

Toro-Salazar is a renowned pediatric cardiologist, dedicated to developing innovative, high-quality, noninvasive imaging programs that serve both pediatric and adult populations with congenital and acquired heart disease. During her tenure at Connecticut Children’s, she established a world-class Cardiac MRI program that supports comprehensive care across the lifespan. Under her leadership, Connecticut Children’s also achieved designation as a Gold-Level Center of Excellence by the International Cardio-Oncology Society.

She will join Monroe Carell as professor of Pediatrics in the Division of Pediatric Cardiology, where she will serve as director of Pediatric Cardiac Dimensional Imaging (MRI & CT scan) and director of the Pediatric Cardio-Oncology Program. Toro-Salazar envisions creating a comprehensive program that integrates advanced imaging technologies, real-time data analytics and precision medicine to address the unique cardiovascular needs of both pediatric and adult populations.

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