Lawrenceville Welcomes Dr. David Bell as New Medical Director

David L. Bell, MD, MPH has been appointed as Lawrenceville’s new medical director and will join the School community in the coming weeks. He will provide leadership and clinical oversight of the School’s medical, counseling, sports medicine, and health administration services. As a member of Lawrenceville’s Senior Staff and the Wellness Team, Dr. Bell will help advance the Key Aspirations of the School’s wellbeing strategic plan and work closely with community members to deliver the comprehensive care that is a hallmark of Lawrenceville.

“At Lawrenceville, we are committed to building a community where every member can contribute and grow—physically, emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually. I am confident that Dr. Bell’s deep knowledge of public health, expertise in adolescent development, and compassionate approach to care will elevate our work as an administration, as a school, and as a community,” said Head of School Steve Murray.

Bell is a nationally recognized physician leader with more than 25 years of experience in advancing the health and wellness of adolescents and young adults. He currently serves as medical director of the Young Men’s Clinic at NewYork Presbyterian Hospital, a role he has held since founding the clinic in 1999, and has been a longtime professor at both the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and the Columbia University Irving Medical Center. He has also served as medical director for school-based clinics and family planning services, leading multidisciplinary teams across high-volume, diverse clinical settings. His approach integrates primary, urgent, and reproductive health care with mental health services, reflecting a deep commitment to whole-person, evidence-informed care.

A past president of the Society for Adolescent Health and Medicine, Bell has consulted with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He has also acted in an advisory capacity with the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), and the Pan-American Health Organization. Bell was an invited participant in a White House meeting on Fatherhood and Young Men of Color and was recognized with the Lawrence S. Neinstein Award in Young Adult Health. As a former trustee of Packer Collegiate in Brooklyn, NY, and having partnered with numerous independent schools for parent education around adolescent health, mental health, and communication strategies, Bell is eager to immerse himself more fully in an educational setting.

“What excites me most is that Lawrenceville is fully devoted to the health, growth, and wellbeing of adolescents,” said Bell. “The School is committed to fostering excellence in every facet of its students’ lives, and I am eager to contribute to that mission. My hope is that my time at Lawrenceville will also allow me to develop strong, positive connections with the families who are such an important part of the students’ lives.”

Bell earned an M.D. from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical School and a Master of Public Health from the University of California, Berkeley. He completed his fellowship in adolescent medicine at the University of California, San Francisco and is board certified in pediatrics.

Bell’s honors include the 2021 Lawrence S. Neinstein Award in Young Adult Health and selection to The Academy of Community of Public Service at the Columbia University Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons in 2019. He is the recipient of a 2015 Public Voices Fellowship from the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health and was chosen to attend the 2017 Columbia Women’s and Children’s Health Faculty Leadership Academy (Department of Pediatrics) at Columbia’s Irving Medical Center. In 2014, he was selected to MSNBC’s The Grio 100 as one of the top ten history makers in health and in 2012 as the NewYork Presbyterian Hospital Physician of the Year.

For more information, contact Lisa M. Gillard H'17, director of public relations, at lgillard@lawrenceville.org.