Sheela Gavvala, D.O., FAAP, is a nonresident fellow at the Center for Health and Biosciences, an assistant professor of pediatrics at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston and a pediatric hospitalist at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital. Her research focuses on integrating advocacy and health policy training into medical education to empower medical providers to utilize a health equity lens in their daily practice. She is also studying language access for limited English proficient patients and social determinants of health screening in hospital settings.

Gavvala has instituted innovative curricula that focuses on school-based educational outreach and legislative advocacy in McGovern Medical School’s Pediatric Residency Program. Previously, she worked to promote family-centered care at Children’s Memorial Hermann Hospital.

She was accepted into the inaugural class of the Academic Pediatric Association’s Health Policy Scholars Program and is also a member of several committees within the Texas Pediatric Society. Gavvala earned her medical degree from the University of North Texas Health Science Center and trained in pediatrics at Dell Children’s Hospital in Austin, Texas.

Contact at sheela.gavvala@uth.tmc.edu or 713-500-5666.