UT Southwestern faculty members Salahuddin “Dino” Kazi, M.D.; Shawn McClintock, Ph.D., M.S.C.S.; and Robert Toto, M.D., have been selected to join the UT System’s Kenneth I. Shine, M.D., Academy of Health Science Education in recognition of their outstanding teaching. They will be inducted as new members at the Academy’s annual Innovations in Health Science Education Conference, scheduled for Feb. 26-27, 2026, in Austin.

More than 200 UT System educators have been inducted into the Academy, including 39 current and former faculty members from UTSW. Nominations for membership may come from the President, Dean, Vice Dean, or Faculty Senate at any of the eight health institutions in the UT System.

Established in 2005, the Academy is named after Kenneth I. Shine, M.D., former UT System Executive Vice Chancellor of Health Affairs. Dr. Shine, who retired in 2013, championed many UT System-led enhancements in health care education and research, and served as interim Chancellor for the UT System in 2008.

Salahuddin “Dino” Kazi, M.D.

With an unwavering passion for guiding trainees and faculty alike, Dr. Kazi, Professor and Vice Chair of Education in the Department of Internal Medicine and Program Director of the Internal Medicine Residency, turns aspiration into achievement, inspiring those he teaches to reach their fullest potential.

“My teaching philosophy is rooted in the belief that learning flourishes in an environment of psychological safety, curiosity, and shared purpose,” he said. “I try to ‘teach systems’ as much as I ‘teach individuals,’ helping trainees see not only the clinical problem in front of them but also the structures, habits, and small decisions that shape patient care. What I enjoy most is watching learners gain confidence and agency – seeing them realize that they can make things better, for patients, for the profession, and for themselves.”

Board certified in internal medicine and rheumatology, Dr. Kazi joined the UTSW faculty in 1995 and is involved with numerous committees, including the Graduate Medical Education Committee.

He also is an active member of several professional organizations, including the American Medical Association, American College of Physicians, and the American College of Rheumatology, which he has served through various committees related to quality improvement and technology.

As a recipient of the 2026 Parker J. Palmer Courage to Teach Award from the Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME), Dr. Kazi plans to utilize his dedication to education in his work with the Shine Academy.

“Being inducted into the Shine Academy is both humbling and inspiring,” he said. “Education is at the heart of what we do in medicine, and this honor reinforces my commitment to mentoring the next generation of physicians and advancing innovative approaches to learning.”

Originally from Pakistan, Dr. Kazi received his medical education at Dow Medical College in Karachi. He completed internal medicine residency training at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, where he served as Chief Resident. He remained at UT Houston to obtain advanced training through a fellowship program in rheumatology.

Shawn McClintock, Ph.D., M.S.C.S.

When it comes to mentoring and teaching, Dr. McClintock, Professor of Psychiatry and Scientific Director of the Perot Foundation Neuroscience Translational Research Center in the Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, places the success and growth of his mentees at the forefront of his mission, treating those he guides as true partners in learning.

“What I love most about teaching is the collaborative and synergistic nature of education as I learn as much from my students and mentees as they learn from me,” he said. “There is so much creativity when we have constructive conversations, generate new ideas and hypotheses, and advance new frontiers of learning.”

Licensed by the Texas State Board of Examiners of Psychologists, Dr. McClintock joined the UTSW faculty in 2008 and specializes in clinical neuropsychology and neuromodulation antidepressant intervention development.

The author or presenter of numerous articles, book chapters, abstracts, lectures, and presentations, he serves as an Associate Editor of Neuropsychology Review and as an Editorial Board member of the Journal of ECT. He also is an elected Fellow of the American College of Neuropsychopharmacology and the American Psychological Association.

Dr. McClintock, an Investigator in the O’Donnell Brain Institute, said he will take his strong belief in collaboration to the Shine Academy.

“I’m beyond honored to be inducted into the Shine Academy and to be among an esteemed cadre of colleagues from across the UT System who excel in mentoring and teaching,” he said. “I am excited about the forthcoming opportunities to contribute to advancing the educational mission across the UT System to support lifelong learning of a new generation of trainees entering into academia.”

Dr. McClintock earned his doctorate in clinical psychology at UT Southwestern, where he stayed to complete a National Institute of Mental Health research fellowship and a clinical fellowship in neuropsychiatry. He also holds a master’s degree in clinical sciences from UTSW.

Robert Toto, M.D.

Dr. Toto, Professor of Internal Medicine, of Public Health, and in the Charles and Jane Pak Center for Mineral Metabolism and Clinical Research, leverages more than three decades of groundbreaking research and clinical expertise to advance the care and outcomes of patients living with chronic kidney disease. But his influence extends far beyond the bedside to shape the future of nephrology by guiding clinicians, kidney medicine fellows, junior faculty, medical students, and residents toward impactful careers in clinical and translational research.

“What I enjoy most about teaching is interacting with my audience in a way that enriches the learning experience for all involved,” he said. “My philosophy is that it is an opportunity to learn – meaning that as I teach, I learn at the same time.”

Dr. Toto joined the UTSW faculty in 1983. A Distinguished Teaching Professor, he also serves as Associate Dean of Translational Science and Education in the Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Director of the Center for Translational Medicine, and Medical Director of UTSW’s Kidney & Liver Disease Clinic. In addition, Dr. Toto directs funds from the Houston J. and Florence A. Doswell Center for the Development of New Approaches for the Treatment of Hypertension endowment.

Nationally and internationally known for clinical research and teaching, he has been honored with numerous teaching awards from medical students and residents at UTSW; is a regular speaker at nephrology meetings on renal disease; has served on program committees for several organizations; and has written more than 100 original articles and textbook chapters related to the diagnosis and management of hypertension and kidney diseases.

It is that extensive experience that he will take with him to the Shine Academy, along with his gratitude for those who made it possible.

“It means a lot to me that UT Southwestern chose me as a nominee for the Shine Academy,” he said. “I owe much to the entire UTSW community for giving me the opportunity to become an effective educator, and I am honored to be accepted into the Academy to help fulfill its mission to support and promote excellence in all aspects of health science education, including educational research, scholarship, and leadership.”

Dr. Toto earned his medical degree at the University of Illinois Medical School. He completed a residency in internal medicine at the University of Michigan and Baylor College of Medicine and then received advanced training in nephrology through fellowships at the University of California, San Francisco and UT Southwestern.