Deborah Kuhls

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Professor, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV

Director, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV Surgical Critical Care Fellowship Program

Chief, Section of Critical Care in the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV Division of Acute Care Surgery

Expertise: Trauma, Critical Care, Surgery

Biography

Dr. Deborah Kuhls is a professor of surgery and trauma surgeon, who is board-certified in general surgery and critical care. She is also the medical director of University Medical Center’s Trauma Intensive Care Unit.

Kuhls’ research interests include injury prevention of all types, including vehicular crash, firearm, and other violence-related injuries, as well as disaster management, medical education, and the clinical care and outcomes of injured patients.

Kuhls is the president of the Nevada Chapter of the American College of Surgeons, chair of the American College of Surgeons Committee on Trauma Injury Prevention and Control Committee, Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV's representative to the Association of American Medical Colleges’ Group on Women in Medicine, and treasurer of the Clark County Medical Society.

Education

M.D., Medical College of Pennsylvania
Residency in General Surgery, Albert Einstein University
Fellowship in Critical Care and Trauma, R. Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, University of Maryland
Fellowship in Executive Leadership in Academic Medicine, Drexel University

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Deborah Kuhls In The News

Trauma, hospitalizations grow as e-mobility devices gain popularity

Between 2017 and 2024, emergency departments nationwide treated an estimated 380,000 e-scooter–related injuries and 155,200 e-bike injuries. That’s according to data published in the latest Traffic Research and Education Newsletter from the Traffic Safety Research Group at the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV. It documents the growing number of e-micromobility-related accidents in Nevada between 2021 and 2025.

UMC trauma doctor reflects on 1 October mass shooting nine years later

Nine years after the mass shooting on the Las Vegas Strip, medical professionals at University Medical Center of Southern Nevada say the night of 1 October still shapes how they prepare for disaster — and how they understand the lasting emotional toll on a community.

'I was shot in the face': 9 years later Route 91 shooting survivors reflect

About 10 minutes after the shooting began, around 10:15 p.m., officers were making their way toward the 32nd floor of Mandalay Bay, where the gunfire was coming from. Around that time, police say the gunman fired his final rounds. As officers worked to reach the hotel room, hospitals across the Las Vegas Valley began preparing for an unprecedented influx of patients.

E-bikes and e-scooters are growing in popularity, but new research highlights serious safety risks

UNLV researchers say emergency departments treated nearly 500,000 e-bike and e-scooter injuries between 2017 and 2024, and valley doctors are pushing for stronger safety measures.