Michael Bell, M.D.

Michael Bell, M.D.

  • Sarah M. and Charles E. Seay Chair in Pediatric Research
  • Pediatrics - Critical Care
  • Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
  • Pediatric Brain Injuries

Biography

Michael Bell, M.D., is a Professor in the Department of Pediatrics and Chief of the Division of Pediatric Critical Care at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He holds the Sarah M. and Charles E. Seay Endowed Chair in Pediatric Research. He is an international expert in pediatric brain injuries and clinical trials.

Dr. Bell earned his medical degree at the State University of New York Downstate Health Sciences University in Brooklyn. He completed a residency in pediatrics at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children in Philadelphia and gained advanced training through a pediatric critical care fellowship at the University of Pittsburgh.

Certified by the American Board of Pediatrics in pediatrics and pediatric critical care medicine, he joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 2025.

Dr. Bell joins UT Southwestern and Children’s Health from Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., where he served as the division chief of critical care medicine, led the department of respiratory care services and the department of transport medicine and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, and served as the director of the Clinical Translational Science Institute. He was also a professor of pediatrics at George Washington University.

With 30 years of experience in academic pediatrics, Dr. Bell is a distinguished physician leader, scientist, clinician, and educator, renowned both nationally and internationally for his contributions to pediatric critical care medicine. He is also experienced with artificial intelligence and data analytics.

He is a member of a number of professional societies, including the Society of Critical Care Medicine, the National Neurotrauma Society, the Society for Pediatric Research, and the Neurocritical Care Society. An ad hoc reviewer for numerous scholarly journals, Dr. Bell is also an Associate Editor for Neurocritical Care and sits on the editorial boards of Pediatric Critical Care Medicine and Neurocritical Care.

Dr. Bell has delivered international and national invited lectures, contributed to numerous books, including Pediatric Critical Care, Nelson’s Pediatrics, and Pediatric Neurosurgery, and published more than 200 peer-reviewed academic articles.

Education & Training

  • Medical School - SUNY Downstate Medical Center (1987-1991)
  • Residency - St. Christopher's Hospital for Children (1991-1994), Pediatrics
  • Fellowship - UPMC Medical/Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh (1994-1997), Pediatric Critical Care Medicine

Professional Associations & Affiliations

  • National Neurotrauma Society
  • Neurocritical Care Society
  • Pediatric Neurocritical Care Research Group
  • Society for Pediatric Research
  • Society of Critical Care Medicine

Books & Publications

Research

  • Pediatric brain injuries
  • Pediatric neurocritical care
  • Pediatric sedation and delirium
  • Pediatric critical care clinical trials

Clinical Focus

  • Pediatric Critical Care Medicine
  • Pediatric Brain Injuries

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