Dr. Robert Cowles

Biography

Robert Cowles is a Professor of Surgery at Yale School of Medicine, specializing in Pediatric Surgery. He obtained his undergraduate education from the University of Pennsylvania and his medical degree from Temple University. He completed his residency in General Surgery at the University of Michigan and also pursued laboratory research supported by an NIH training grant. He received his pediatric surgery training at Morgan Stanley Children’s Hospital, Columbia University, in New York City. Dr. Cowles manages a wide range of pediatric surgeries with a specific focus on conditions affecting the gastrointestinal tract, particularly those related to the esophagus, liver, biliary tree, and pancreas. He co-manages patients with short gut syndrome as part of a multidisciplinary team. As the Program Director for Pediatric Surgery Fellowships at Yale, he emphasizes competency in surgical education. His research interests include the neural control of intestinal adaptation and the cellular mechanisms involved in recovery from intestinal injury, utilizing mouse models to understand the effects of serotonin on enterocyte turnover. Dr. Cowles has contributed to the development of surgical techniques that have reduced the need for transplants in young patients with short bowel syndrome and biliary atresia.

Research Interests

Experience