- Specialty Pleural Mesothelioma
- Procedure Robotic Surgery
- Mesothelioma Treatment Center at Baylor College of Medicine 6620 Main St. Suite 1325, Houston, Texas 77030

Dr. Taylor Ripley
Thoracic Surgeon
Dr. Taylor Ripley is the Director of the Mesothelioma Treatment Center at Baylor College of Medicine’s Lung Institute. He was personally selected by Dr. Sugarbaker to be his successor after proving his capabilities in mesothelioma treatment, surgical oncology and cardiothoracic research.
About Dr. Ripley
Dr. Taylor Ripley previously worked at the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center and the National Cancer Institute (NCI).
Dr. Ripley’s surgical experience is well-balanced, yet focuses heavily on thoracic oncology, including mesothelioma. He is also a proponent of minimally invasive surgical techniques and is leading ground-breaking research in cancer profiling and mesothelioma cell mutation.
Dr. Ripley’s Background
Dr. Robert Taylor Ripley, known more commonly as Dr. Taylor Ripley, began his studies in biochemistry at Boston College, before pursuing medicine at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine and graduating in 2004.
Dr. Ripley completed his general surgery residency at the University of Colorado, followed by a fellowship in thoracic surgery at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, focusing on thoracic surgical oncology.
During his work at Memorial Sloan-Kettering, Dr. Ripley worked alongside many of the most significant names in mesothelioma research and surgery. Later, Dr. Ripley became a Thoracic Surgeon and Principal Investigator for the NCI.
Dr. Ripley made a name for himself while working at NCI as an associate professor of surgery for the Thoracic and Oncologic Surgery Branch.
His research work on esophageal adenocarcinoma discovered specific p53-mutations that could be recognized during treatment to determine the likelihood of a favorable outcome, and this discovery won the NCI Director’s Innovation Award in 2016.
Dr. Ripley also created and served on the NCI’s Foregut Team, which focuses on research and clinical trials for patients with tumors in the foregut. This Foregut Team is a multidisciplinary team that operates out of the National Institute of Health.
Baylor College of Medicine
In 2018, Dr. Taylor Ripley was recruited by the late Dr. David Sugarbaker to take his place at Baylor College of Medicine’s St. Luke’s Medical Center, as Director of the world-class Mesothelioma Treatment Center.
He is also an Associate Professor Surgery for Baylor College of Medicine’s thoracic surgery division.
Dr. Ripley’s priority is treating patients with mesothelioma, although he also works with patients who have lung cancer, thymic cancer, esophageal cancer, and metastatic disease.
“My primary clinical focus is on the treatment of patients in the Mesothelioma Treatment Center at Baylor College of Medicine. Additionally, I treat patients with all thoracic cancers including lung cancer, esophageal cancer, thymic cancers, and metastatic disease.” – Dr. Taylor Ripley
As well as running Baylor’s mesothelioma program, Dr. Ripley continues his groundbreaking research that profiles mitochondrial pathways and protein signals as a method of assessing thoracic cancer outcomes.
This research has displayed promising results and may lead to a significant breakthrough in diagnosing and treating thoracic cancers in the future.
Awards and Contributions
- 2016 NCI Director’s Innovation Award
- Dean’s Scholar
- Dan May Scholarship
- Albert J. McGuinn Award
Memberships and Affiliations
- American Board of Thoracic Surgery
- American Board of Surgery