Allison Speer, MD

Biography

Dr. Allison Speer is an Associate Professor Pediatric Surgery at McGovern Medical School at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth Houston).  She was accepted into the Baccalaureate/MD program and awarded a presidential scholarship to attend the University of Southern California (USC) as an undergraduate.  Dr. Speer graduated cum laude with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and received her medical degree from the Keck School of Medicine at USC.  She completed her general surgery residency training at Los Angeles County + USC Medical Center in Los Angeles, CA.  During residency, she completed a 3 year research fellowship investigating tissue-engineered intestine as a solution for short bowel syndrome at Children’s Hospital Los Angeles in the laboratory of Dr. Tracy Grikscheit, a pediatric surgeon.  Dr. Speer has received several research awards including the American College of Surgeons Surgical Forum Excellence in Research Award.  Additionally, she received grant funding from the Ethicon-Society of University Surgeons Surgical Research Fellowship Award.  Dr. Speer is passionate about education and mentorship and has received teaching awards as well.  She enjoys mentoring at all levels, but particularly future surgeon-scientists.  After residency, she completed fellowship training in Pediatric Surgery at Children’s National Medical Center/George Washington University in Washington, D.C.  Dr. Speer is Board Certified in Surgery and Pediatric Surgery by the American Board of Surgery.

Dr. Speer’s clinical interests include intestinal failure and rehabilitation, advanced minimally invasive surgery, and thoracic/foregut surgery.  She is the surgical director of the Short bowel syndrome Therapy and Rehabilitation program. She is also a basic-translational scientist focused on developing novel regenerative medicine strategies for intestinal failure such as tissue-engineered intestine and cell-based therapies.