This award honors clinical faculty who consistently share time and expertise in service to internal committees, task forces, and other institutional activities that make a significant impact on the care delivered to UT Southwestern patients.

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Patrick Leavey, M.D.

Associate Vice Chair of Research Operations and Professor of Pediatrics, UT Southwestern
Associate Medical Director for Clinical Affairs for the Pauline Allen Gill Center for Cancer and Blood Disorders and Director of the Musculoskeletal Tumors Program, Children’s Health

Nominating Dr. Patrick “Pat” Leavey for the Institutional Service Award “may have been the easiest thing I’ve ever done in my nearly 19 years at UT Southwestern,” his faculty nominator said.

The reasons can be found across nearly every corner of Dr. Leavey’s service to UT Southwestern and Children’s Health. Again and again, the pediatric oncologist has stepped into complex institutional roles, brought teams together, and left the programs and the people stronger than he found them.

Whether reorganizing research administration, guiding major renovations, providing steady leadership during times of transition, leading research into osteosarcoma – the most common childhood bone cancer – or establishing the North Texas Sickle Cell Disease Clinical Trial Unit, he has made service a defining part of his career.

“What makes him so remarkable?” his nominator continued. “Many faculty members are great clinicians, educators, or researchers. Many have great ideas or deep institutional knowledge. Many are willing to devote real time and effort to institutional efforts. But how many truly possess all these characteristics? Very, very few.”

In addition to his own work, Dr. Leavey has taken on many major institutional roles over the years, including Interim Division Chief of Pediatric Hematology and Oncology; Department of Pediatrics Associate Vice Chair of Research Operations; Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center Associate Director of Clinical Research; and President of the Medical/Dental Staff at Children’s Medical Center Dallas.

He also has served on several committees, including the Physical Facilities and Technology – Infrastructure Subcommittee; Dean’s Scholar for Clinical Research Award – Grants Review Committee; and Grants Governance Committee, and as co-Chair of both the task force to review clinical research for the Department of Pediatrics and the Pediatric Nephrology Division Chief Search Committee.

He approaches each new role with dedication, energy, and expertise, never losing sight of the importance of service and collaboration.

“While some may collect titles and positions for recognition and prestige, Pat takes on institutional service because he is interested and invested,” his nominator said. “Colleagues note him to be insightful, organized, and committed. He also does his research, gathering relevant input before making important decisions.”

And the impact of his leadership and institutional contributions often speaks for itself.

As Associate Vice Chair of Research Operations in the Department of Pediatrics, he directed a comprehensive reorganization of the research administration office; doubled satisfaction scores among faculty; developed and implemented five major laboratory renovation projects; established a departmentwide research finance tracking tool; and created a Power BI organizational research dashboard available across the institution. With clinical research representing a critical component of quality clinical care, these efforts have greatly improved UT Southwestern’s reach and reputation.

Dr. Leavey has earned a reputation for promoting cross-functional collaboration, with multiple colleagues commenting that he actively listens, building consensus before moving initiatives forward.

“I am privileged to work in an interdisciplinary team that together shares the heartbreak, challenges, breakthroughs, and successes of treating children with cancer,” he said. “My patients and their parents have taught me the importance of grace, humility, and hope. Caring for kids with cancer has also guided and driven my passion for multidisciplinary sarcoma research, research operations, and discovery science in all its shapes. Therefore, whether through the lens of leadership across the pillars of clinical care, education, or research excellence, a service award by its nature also values those colleagues who have so generously shared their counsel, collaboration, wisdom, and friendship with me.”

During his years of training, Dr. Leavey became a member of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland, was named a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians, and earned a Diploma in Child Health from the National University of Ireland. He was granted a Doctorate in Medicine from the National University of Ireland, based on his work in the Ambruso laboratory. He is subspecialty board-certified in pediatric hematology-oncology by the American Board of Pediatrics.