Gastroenterologist and hepatologist Dwain Thiele, M.D., a triple threat who made key contributions across UT Southwestern’s missions – education, research, and patient care – has been appointed Professor Emeritus.

Dr. Thiele, who came to UT Southwestern in 1980 for a fellowship in gastroenterology and hepatology, joined the faculty in 1983 and remained at UTSW for more than four decades until he retired Aug. 31.

Later in his career, Dr. Thiele held numerous UTSW administrative and leadership positions, including Vice Chair and then Interim Chair of the Department of Internal Medicine, Vice Provost and Senior Associate Dean for Faculty Affairs and Initiatives, Interim Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs, and Dean of UT Southwestern Medical School, among others. He even briefly served as Interim Chair of the Department of Ophthalmology until the new Chair joined.

“There comes a time when we have to step up and take a leadership role,” Dr. Thiele said.

Drawn to science since his high school years in Bishop, Texas, Dr. Thiele attended Rice University, originally planning a career in engineering or science. But conversations with fellow Rice students pursuing medical careers persuaded him that medicine offered the opportunity for rewarding interactions with people in a field poised for great advances. A biochemistry course solidified his interest in medicine.

Dr. Thiele graduated summa cum laude from Rice in 1974 and earned his medical degree at Baylor College of Medicine in 1977. He then completed his internship and residency in internal medicine at Duke University School of Medicine.

During his internship, Dr. Thiele’s interest in hepatology began. On his gastroenterology rotation, he met hepatologist Paul Killenberg, M.D., an outstanding educator and role model who inspired him to focus on diseases of the liver.

“UT Southwestern was viewed as having one of the top 10 gastroenterology programs in the country and was seen as a great place to get training, so I was delighted to do my fellowship training here,” he said. “Also, getting back to Texas was a motivation.”

For the first 25 years of his career, he was a National Institutes of Health-funded investigator focusing on immunology and liver diseases, including acute viral hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, and liver transplant rejection. He published well over 100 papers. Dr. Thiele studied the role that immune effector mechanisms play in clearing viral infections from the liver, research that led to his elections to the American Society for Clinical Investigation and the American Association of Physicians.

“When I began my career, we only had treatments for two rare liver diseases – Wilson’s disease and autoimmune hepatitis. Now we have therapies for a dozen or more liver diseases,” Dr. Thiele said.

“Take the example of viral hepatitis. When I started my career, we couldn’t even diagnose hepatitis C – and now it’s a curable disease. That’s the most startling improvement, but there’s a whole list of diseases that are treatable now. It was great to be a part of such change,” he added.

Dr. Thiele took his role as an educator to heart as well. In 1994, he was named Teacher of the Year, UT Southwestern Gastroenterology Training Program, and again in 2000. In recent years, Dr. Thiele has played a key role in the booming development of the UTSW campus, including construction of the Simulation Center and service as Project Advocate and UT System Liaison for projects involving the South Campus Vivarium Building, North Campus Phase VI, Peter O’Donnell Jr. Brain Institute, and Cancer Care Outpatient Building.

Dr. Thiele said he would continue to assist with UTSW projects, but he is looking forward to spending more time camping, hiking, and fishing. He is already enjoying the additional time with his family, which coincidentally expanded by one on the date of his retirement with the birth of his fourth grandchild.

“The culture, the atmosphere, and the people of UT Southwestern have provided a wonderful environment for pursuing a career in academic medicine,” he reflected. “The opportunity to participate, to contribute, and later, in leadership roles, to support the development of excellence in all mission areas has made for a truly rewarding professional experience.”