Surgical team wearing protective equipment performs a procedure in a hospital operating room.

Pediatric Surgery

Research Programs

chosp3 Dr. Naik-Mathuria trained in General Surgery at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, graduating in 2009, Pediatric Surgery fellowship at Children's Hospital of Los Angeles, graduating in 2011, and returned to Baylor for Surgical Critical Care fellowship, graduating in 2012. She then joined the faculty in the Division of Pediatric Surgery at Texas Children's Hospital/Baylor College of Medicine and served as Trauma Medical Director of the Level I pediatric trauma program and on the surgical oncology team for 10 years. She received a Master’s in Public Health from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health in 2018. In 2022, she joined UTMB as the Division Chief of Pediatric Surgery and served in this role until 2025, and directed the John Sealy School of Medicine Global Health Education Program between 2024-2025. Her research interests are in injury prevention through a public health lens - including federally-funded research in youth firearm injury prevention, clinical outcomes in trauma and pediatric surgical oncology, and innovation and education in global surgery.

Selected publications:

  1. Jhonsa V, Jindal S, Shah S, Tirfie MS, Bond M, Richards-Kortum R, Naik-Mathuria B. The SimpleSilo: An Effective and Affordable Solution for Gastroschisis Management in Low-resource Settings. J Pediatr Surg. 2025 May 17;60(8):162369. doi: 10.1016/j.jpedsurg.2025.162369. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 40389197.
  2. Naik-Mathuria B, Ehrlich P, Escobar M, et al. Prospective Outcomes of Standardized Non-Operative Management of Pancreatic Trauma with Ductal Injury in Children: Less Is More. J Pediatr Surg. 2025 Jan; 60(1):161976.
  3. Naik-Mathuria B, Utria A, Ehrlich P, et al. Management and Outcomes of Wilms Tumor with Suprarenal Intravascular Extension: A Pediatric Surgical Oncology Research Collaborative Study. Ann Surg. 2024. Mar 1;279(3): 528-535.
  4. Cain CM, Oluyomi AO, Levine N, Pompeii L, Rosales O, Naik-Mathuria B. Socioeconomic disparities based on shooting intent in pediatric firearm injury. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2024. 97(3):440-444.:10.1097/TA.0000000000004269

Federal Research Funding:

2025-2028: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention R01, 1R01CE003772-01 “Rise Up! A Youth-Informed Video Program to Prevent Community Violence Before The First Shot” Institution: University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston Role: Principal Investigator Award amount: $1,197,907

2020- 2023: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention RO1, 1R01CE003247-01-00 “Understanding the Epidemiology of Firearm Injuries in a Large Urban County” Institution: Baylor College of Medicine Role: Principal Investigator Award amount: $680,000

Rise Up! Against Gun Violence artcle