Dr. Chris Bell Completes Rhinology Fellowship at UTHealth Houston
Christopher Bell, MD, has completed a fellowship in neurorhinology and advanced endoscopic sinus surgery at the Texas Sinus Institute in the Department of Otorhinolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston. He has accepted a faculty position at his alma mater, the University of Saskatchewan College of Medicine, where his primary focus will be rhinology and endoscopic sinus and skull base surgery.
A Canadian citizen, Dr. Bell completed residency training in otolaryngology at the University of Calgary in Alberta before his arrival at UTHealth Houston for fellowship training. During medical school, he was recognized with the Gary L. Stoik Memorial Award and was the recipient of the Nassar Scholarship and several bursaries based on academic achievement and financial need.
As a fellow, Dr. Bell worked closely in clinic and in the operating room with the department’s three attending rhinologists: Martin J. Citardi, MD, professor and chair; Amber Luong, MD, PhD, professor and vice chair for academic affairs; and William C. Yao, MD, chief of rhinology, associate professor, and director of the otorhinolaryngology residency program, who together serve as co-directors of the UTHealth Houston Rhinology and Skull Base Fellowship.
“All three rhinologists have tremendous skill sets and nuanced approaches to medical management and surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis and various skull base pathologies, depending on the condition and needs of the patient,” he says. “Dr. Citardi, for example, has decades of experience with these conditions, and as chair of the department is an excellent mentor in leadership techniques that I will use to start my own practice.
“Dr. Luong has outstandingly strong academic prowess complementary to her clinical and surgical practice, and I’ve been fortunate to coauthor papers with her,” he continues. “My personal research interests are in perioperative management of patients – determining the appropriate extent of surgery and how best to optimize patient recovery following surgery – which I hope to explore after building my practice.
“Dr. Yao has a well-established skull base practice and often works in tandem with the medical school’s skull base neurosurgeons, which has given me a great opportunity to collaborate and learn. He’s an excellent mentor in managing skull base pathology, an area I’m particularly interested in. All three surgeons employ very advanced technology to treat clinically challenging cases and work together to provide a well-rounded fellowship experience,” he says.
Dr. Yao describes Dr. Bell as “one of the more clinically gifted fellows we’ve had. He has very good surgical acumen and picks up nuances very quickly and, in addition, had a good working relationship with the neurosurgery fellows. He was a joy to work with in clinic and could straddle the line between professional and personable well, an indicator of high emotional intelligence.”
Dr. Bell says he’s looking forward to staying connected with his mentors through conferences. “I also expect to continue asking for their input, particularly on challenging cases,” he says. “Houston has been a really great place to live during the past year. I’m fortunate to be able to return to the province where I grew up, but my wife and I look forward to returning to Texas to visit. Overall, the fellowship has been a great experience, and I’m extremely fortunate to learn from three leaders in the field. At the conclusion of my fellowship, I’m also honored to be able to call Dr. Luong, Dr. Yao, and Dr. Citardi my colleagues and friends.”