Distinguished Alumni in Internal Medicine

The Internal Medicine Distinguished Alumni Award was established in 2025 to honor the outstanding accomplishments, service, and contributions an individual has provided to the field of medicine either internationally, nationally, or at the local level. Any alumnus of our graduate training programs may be nominated.

In addition to being invited to address graduating residents, the Distinguished Alumni Awardee is asked to deliver the Daniel W. Foster, M.D. Lecture during Internal Medicine Grand Rounds. The lectureship was established by the Internal Medicine Class of 1997 to honor Dr. Foster, who was the Department's third chair. From 1987 to 2003, Dr. Foster spearheaded Internal Medicine's remarkable academic growth, recruiting numerous outstanding faculty who went on to establish their own successful careers at UT Southwestern. Dr. Foster was a strong advocate for the Department's house staff and a renowned physician-scientist who made significant contributions to our understanding of metabolism and diabetes pathology. His visionary leadership enabled the launch of the transformative Dallas Heart Study, among other achievements.

2026

Helen R. Hobbs, M.D.

Dallas Heart Ball Chair in Cardiology Research
Professor, Eugene McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development, Internal Medicine, and Molecular Genetics
UT Southwestern

Originally from Boston, Dr. Hobbs holds a bachelor’s degree in human biology from Stanford University in Palo Alto, California. She earned her medical degree at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, and obtained internal medicine residency training at UT Southwestern, where she served as Chief Resident, and then completed fellowship training in endocrinology and metabolism.

Dr. Hobbs joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 1987. From 2000 to 2024, Dr. Hobbs served as Director of the McDermott Center for Human Growth and Development.

An internationally recognized physician-scientist whose work has changed our understanding of cholesterol, heart disease, and fatty liver disease, Dr. Hobbs studies how differences in our genes affect the way the body processes fats, and her discoveries have helped explain why some people develop high cholesterol or liver disease while others do not. One of her major achievements was establishing the Dallas Heart Study, a landmark, multiethnic, population-based cohort that enabled groundbreaking discoveries, most notably the identification of variations in the PCSK9 gene that naturally keep cholesterol low and protect against heart disease, and the discovery of genetic changes that contribute to fatty liver disease. In addition, her work led to the identification of PNPLA3 variants as one of the most important genetic risk factors for fatty liver disease. Through this work, she has identified new biological pathways and potential targets for treatment, shaping how doctors think about preventing and treating heart and liver conditions.

Over her career, Dr. Hobbs has been honored with many of the highest awards in medicine and science, reflecting the global impact of her research. She has received major prizes from organizations around the world, including top honors from the American Heart Association, the European Atherosclerosis Society, and the prestigious Breakthrough Prize in Life Sciences. Universities such as Johns Hopkins, Mount Sinai, and Case Western Reserve have awarded her honorary degrees in recognition of her achievements. She has also been elected to elite scientific groups, including the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academy of Medicine, the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and the American Society of Clinical Investigation. An Investigator in the Howard Hughes Medical Institute, Dr. Hobbs is frequently invited to give high‑profile lectures across the globe, underscoring her reputation as one of the leading voices in genetic and medical research.

• 2025 Distinguished Alumni
  

  Clyde W. Yancy, M.D., M.Sc.

  Chief and Magerstadt Professor of Cardiology
  Feinberg School of Medicine
  Vice Dean for Diversity and Inclusion
  Northwestern University

  Internal Medicine Grand Rounds, May 16, 2025 - Distinguished Alumni Dr. Clyde W. Yancy

  Originally from Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Dr. Yancy holds a bachelor's degree from Southern University. He received his medical degree from Tulane University in 1982 and, in 1985, completed internal medicine residency training at UT Southwestern, where he also obtained advanced training through fellowship programs in cardiology (1989) and in advanced heart failure transplant (1991). During fellowship, he received research training in the human physiology laboratories of Drs. Gunnar Blomqvist and Jere Mitchell, as well as advanced heart failure and heart transplant training from Dr. Maria-Teresa Olivari.

  Dr. Yancy joined the faculty at UT Southwestern faculty in 1989 and, over the course of 17 years, he became the Carl H. Westcott Distinguished Chair in Medical Research, Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs, and served as Medical Director of the Heart Failure/Heart Transplant Program. During this time, he also took a particular interest in disparities in cardiovascular disease. In 2001, Dr. Yancy received the Outstanding Research Award and the Daniel Savage Award for Scientific Achievement from the Association of Black Cardiologists. The American Heart Association (AHA) named him Physician of the Year in 2003.

  In 2006, Dr. Yancy joined the faculty at Baylor University Medical Center and was named Medical Director of the Baylor Heart and Vascular Institute. In 2010, he earned a master's degree in healthcare management from the University of Texas at Dallas. He joined the Northwestern University faculty in 2011.

  Dr. Yancy was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2016. In 2018, he was appointed to the Minority Health Affairs Subcommittee, Department of Health and Human Services. He also held ;leadership positions in the National Institutes of Health, National Heart Lung and Blood Institute, the Food and Drug Administration, and the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute.

  Tulane University presented him its Outstanding Alumnus Award in 2019. In 2020, Dr. Yancy was elected to the Association of American Physicians. In 2021, he received the Northwestern Medicine Mihai Gheorghiade Award for Mentorship and the Gary Mecklenburg Distinguished Physician Award for exemplary professionalism and humanism. In 2022, he received the AHA's “Heart of Gold” award. Also in 2022, Dr. Yancy was recognized by the Heart Failure Society of America with its Distinguished Leadership Award (for education and mentorship). In 2023 he received the New York Academy of Medicine John Stearns Medal for Distinguished Contributions in Clinical Practice.

  Dr. Yancy is an active member of the American College of Cardiology, American College of Physicians, Association of Black Cardiologists, and the International Society for Heart and Lung Transplantation.