Kayla Isbell, MD

Biography

Kayla Isbell, MD, MS, is an Assistant Professor of Vascular Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, practicing in Katy, Texas. She completed fellowship training in vascular surgery at Baylor College of Medicine (2023–2025) and general surgery residency at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center/Harvard Medical School (2016–2023). During residency, Dr. Isbell pursued a two-year research fellowship at UTHealth Houston’s Center for Surgical Trials and Evidence-based Practice (C-STEP), earning a Master of Science in Clinical Research (2019–2021). She received her medical degree from the University of Alabama School of Medicine, graduating with honors, and holds prior degrees in applied policy and mathematics.

Dr. Isbell’s research focuses on improving outcomes after major surgery and trauma, including damage-control strategies, endothelial dysfunction and acute kidney injury after severe trauma, risk stratification for surgical site infection, patient-reported outcomes following emergency laparotomy, and value-based care in acute care surgery. Her work has appeared in JAMA Surgery–affiliated venues (e.g., J Am Coll Surg), Shock, Surgical Infections, and Journal of Surgical Research, and she has presented at national meetings such as the American College of Surgeons Clinical Congress and the Academic Surgical Congress.

A committed educator and team leader, Dr. Isbell served as Administrative Chief Resident at BIDMC and has extensive teaching experience across anatomy, standardized test preparation, and clinical education. She is a member of the Society for Vascular Surgery, American College of Surgeons, Association for Academic Surgery, Association of Women Surgeons, the American Medical Association, and the Gold Humanism Honor Society.