Katie W. Russell

Katie W. Russell, MD is an Associate Professor of Surgery and Adjunct Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Utah School of Medicine. She serves as a pediatric surgeon at Primary Children's Hospital where she holds leadership positions as both Trauma Medical Director and Surgical Director of the ECMO program. Dr. Russell is actively involved in the Western Pediatric Research Consortium, a multi-institutional research collaborative advancing pediatric surgical research.

Dr. Russell earned her B.A. in Visual Art from Brown University and her M.D. from the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California, where she was elected to AOA honor medical society. She completed her general surgery residency at the University of Utah including a research fellowship, and her pediatric surgery fellowship at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia.

Her research interests focus on pediatric trauma, extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), chest wall deformity, fetal consultation, minimally invasive surgery, and global surgery. She leads a multidisciplinary clinic dedicated to treating children with pulmonary hypoplasia related to congenital diaphragmatic hernia, congenital lung lesions, and giant omphalocele. Dr. Russell has been particularly active in global surgery, with missions to South Sudan, Haiti, Guatemala, Tanzania, and Nepal following the 2015 earthquake.

Analysis of her recent publications shows a strong focus on pediatric trauma care, surgical outcomes for chest wall deformities, and innovative approaches to pediatric surgical conditions. Her work frequently addresses practical clinical questions with implications for improving patient care and resource utilization.

• AOA Honor Medical Society
• Chassin Award for professionalism in surgery

Dr. Russell leads telehealth initiatives to reduce costs for families related to travel in both outpatient and inpatient settings. She has been instrumental in establishing the Utah Pediatric Trauma Network, a statewide collaborative that helps non-pediatric hospitals safely admit children with mild traumatic brain injury. Her global surgery work includes multiple surgical missions and a two-month stint with Medecins Sans Frontieres in South Sudan in 2017.

She directs a multidisciplinary clinic for children with pulmonary hypoplasia related to congenital conditions and is actively involved with the Western Pediatric Research Consortium, which conducts rigorous multicenter research on pediatric surgical conditions. Dr. Russell also continues her involvement in wilderness medicine, teaching for the Alaska Mountaineering School and the National Park Service.