Chelsea A. Harris

Chelsea A. Harris, MD, MS is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Surgery at the University of Utah School of Medicine, specializing in Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery. She practices at University of Utah Hospital with clinical expertise in abdominal wall reconstruction, post-bariatric body contouring, wound care, limb salvage, and transmasculine chest wall reconstruction.

Her educational background includes a B.Sc. in Human Biology from Brown University, an M.D. from the University of Vermont College of Medicine, General Surgery residency at the University of Maryland School of Medicine, an M.Sc. in Health Services Research from the University of Michigan, and a Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Fellowship at Johns Hopkins Hospital.

Dr. Harris' research focuses on health services, particularly elucidating patient preferences, building data-driven approaches to improve medical culture, and systems-based solutions for complex reconstructive needs. She developed the internationally recognized Cultural Complications Curriculum for addressing cultural breakdowns with surgical-error rigor. Her publication trends (2016-2023) reveal consistent emphasis on gender equity in surgery, patient-centered care methodologies, and surgical outcomes research across high-impact journals including Annals of Surgery and Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery.

She received the Association of Women Surgeons’ Hilary Sanfey Outstanding Resident award in 2021 and multiple teaching honors, with research supported by intramural and societal grants. As Creative Director for Annals of Surgery and the American Journal of Surgery, she pioneered social media strategies for research dissemination. Her work with the Cultural Complications Curriculum team represents ongoing efforts to transform healthcare culture through structured educational frameworks.