Three highly regarded pediatric physicians have been appointed to leadership positions at UT Southwestern. One is known for his work in pediatric critical care medicine, another for expertise in complex congenital heart problems in children, and the third for his pioneering innovative immunotherapy approaches in childhood cancers. The new roles are:

• Michael “Mike” Bell, M.D., Chief of the Division of Pediatric Critical Care at UT Southwestern and Children’s Medical Center Dallas
• Ryan Davies, M.D., Chief of the Division of Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery at UT Southwestern and Co-Director of the Heart Center at Children’s Health
• Andrew Y. Koh,  M.D., Chief of the Division of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology at UT Southwestern and Medical Director of the Pauline Allen Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders at Children’s Health

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Michael “Mike” Bell, M.D.
Pediatric Critical Care

Dr. Bell, who joined UT Southwestern in January as Professor of Pediatrics, said he gravitated to pediatric critical care medicine because it allows him to care for children with diseases that put them at a heightened risk for death or lifelong disabilities.

“I’m motivated to find ways to prevent poor outcomes when I can and help families cope with catastrophic situations when our current medical knowledge is insufficient,” he said.

Dr. Bell came from Children’s National Hospital in Washington, D.C., where he doubled the faculty size. His leadership significantly advanced pediatric research in neurological care, infection, and mechanical ventilation.

A graduate of Cornell University, Dr. Bell received his medical degree from SUNY Downstate Health Sciences University and completed his internship and residency in pediatrics at St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children and a fellowship in pediatrics at UMPC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh.

Dr. Bell is known for his collaborative leadership style and excels at leading by example, said Jorge Bezerra, M.D., Chair of Pediatrics.

“We are eager to have him at the helm of Pediatric Critical Care, where he will play a critical role in strengthening our programs, launching new initiatives, integrating clinical care with research priorities, and training leaders in the field,” Dr. Bezerra said.

Dr. Bell said he looks forward to adding his expertise to help advance care for young patients.

“In addition to developing superior clinical care by applying known information in a thoughtful way for critically ill children, I’ve been fortunate to lead large clinical trials for a variety of conditions that affect thousands of children each year – and I’m anxious to continue that work with the staff and research faculty at UTSW,” Dr. Bell said. “I’ll spend the rest of my career pursuing new knowledge to help us improve the outcomes of children and their quality of life.”

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Ryan Davies, M.D.
Pediatric Cardiothoracic Surgery

Dr. Davies, Professor of Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery at UTSW and Surgical Director for Heart Transplantation and Mechanical Circulatory Support at Children’s Health, specializes in the surgical management of complex congenital heart problems in neonates and children as well as the surgical management of heart failure in children. He has helped lead the highest-volume pediatric heart transplant program in the U.S., the Pediatric Advanced Cardiac Care Program, which won a Program Development Award in UT Southwestern’s 2024 Leaders in Clinical Excellence Awards.

He said treating children with heart disease and seeing them thrive continually renews his passion for pediatrics.

“Pediatric cardiac surgery is a technically demanding field, requiring not only surgical precision but also a deep understanding of the unique physiology of children with congenital heart disease,” Dr. Davies said. “Yet, beyond the complexity lies a deeply human connection – each child represents a life full of potential. I cherish the moments in the operating room, surrounded by a dedicated team, all focused on giving one child the best possible chance at a healthy future.”

Dr. Davies, who joined UTSW in 2017, earned his medical degree from Yale School of Medicine. He then completed his surgical internship, general surgery residency, and cardiothoracic surgery residency at New York-Presbyterian Hospital/Columbia University Medical Center. He had additional fellowship training in pediatric cardiac surgery at Stanford University Medical Center/Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital.

Dr. Davies has excelled as a surgeon, investigator, and leader, said Micheal E. Jessen, M.D., Chair of Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery.

“He has co-directed the pediatric heart transplant program, which has become one of the very best programs in the nation, both in quality and volume,” Dr. Jessen said.

Dr. Davies said his vision for the Heart Center at Children’s Health is rooted in a commitment to excellence, innovation, and access.

“Our top priority is to maintain and elevate the high-quality, world-leading cardiac care we provide to children across Texas and beyond,” he said.

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Andrew Y. Koh, M.D.
Pediatric Hematology and Oncology

Dr. Koh, Professor of Pediatrics and Microbiology and in the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, joined UT Southwestern in 2009 as Director of Pediatric Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation. Since then, he has expanded the stem cell transplant program and spearheaded innovative immunotherapy approaches for pediatric cancer along with gene therapy programs for hematologic disorders.

“I feel very honored to be given this opportunity to shepherd the Pediatric Hematology and Oncology Division in this very exciting time,” Dr. Koh said. “The advent of advanced cellular therapies (including gene therapy), immunotherapies, and molecular biology approaches to pediatric cancer and blood disorders gives us a unique opportunity to treat our patients more effectively and, hopefully, with far fewer side effects.”

Dr. Koh received his bachelor’s degree in biology from Harvard College and then a bachelor’s degree in English literature at Pembroke College, Oxford University (while on a Rhodes Scholarship). He earned his medical degree from Harvard Medical School. He then completed his internship, residency, and chief residency in pediatrics at Children’s Hospital Boston, followed by a dual fellowship in pediatric hematology/oncology and pediatric infectious diseases at Children’s Hospital Boston and Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.

“Dr. Koh is a distinguished physician-scientist whose clinical, research, and leadership accomplishments have made a major impact on pediatric hematology and oncology,” Dr. Bezerra said.

For his new role, Dr. Koh’s goals include ensuring the delivery of innovative clinical care for children with hematologic and oncologic disorders, advancing patient-oriented research, and fostering faculty development.

“We will be adopting and implementing new and innovative therapies – such as gene therapy for sickle cell disease,” he said. “Second, we hope to expand our laboratory and clinical research efforts to synchronize with our expanded clinical efforts. Collectively, these expanded clinical and research efforts will make us the premier pediatric hematology/oncology program in North Texas and one of the top programs in the country.”