News Highlights - March 17, 2026

Kudos

Williams Receives Hoebel Prize from SSIB

Kevin Williams, Ph.D., an Associate Professor in the Center for Hypothalamic Research, has been selected as the 2026 recipient of the Hoebel Prize for Creativity, an honor bestowed annually by the Society for the Study of Ingestive Behavior (SSIB) to recognize exceptional originality and excellence in research on ingestive behavior. The prize acknowledges work that advances understanding of the mechanisms that govern ingestive behavior and holds potential to benefit society through improved approaches to preventing or treating related disorders.

In nominating Dr. Williams, his colleagues praised his exceptional conceptual and technical creativity, noting that his work has redefined metabolic neuroscience by illuminating how hypothalamic circuits regulate energy balance and feeding behavior. Their remarks underscore the innovative spirit that the Hoebel Prize was designed to honor and reflect Dr. Williams’s influence on the evolving scientific understanding of metabolism and ingestive regulation.

The SSIB is an international scientific organization dedicated to advancing research on the biological, physiological, and social processes that shape eating and drinking behavior, with a mission to foster interdisciplinary collaboration and elevate scientific discovery that improves human health. ■

Research Report

Indolent Tumor Clones Found to Drive Kidney Cancer Spread to the Pancreas

A new international study led by researchers at UT Southwestern Medical Center sheds light on why some cases of metastatic kidney cancer behave unusually well when the disease spreads to the pancreas. Clear cell renal cell carcinoma is typically aggressive, yet patients whose cancer metastasizes to the pancreas often live significantly longer than those whose cancer spreads elsewhere. Until now, the biological reasons behind this survival advantage were unclear.

The team examined tumor samples from more than 100 patients with pancreatic metastases and compared them with a larger group of patients whose cancer had spread to other parts of the body. They found that tumors that reach the pancreas tend to have a more slow‑growing, less aggressive biology from the start. These cancers usually lack mutations in a gene called BAP1, which the Brugarolas Lab previously identified to be mutated in kidney cancer and is associated with worse outcomes. In contrast, they more commonly lose PBRM1, a gene linked to lower‑grade disease, better survival, and stronger response to drugs that block tumor blood‑vessel growth.

Importantly, even when primary kidney tumors contained both indolent and aggressive components, the pancreatic metastases consistently arose from the less aggressive tumor cells. These pancreatic lesions showed low tumor grade, reduced activation of growth pathways, and unusually high levels of angiogenesis. These traits may help explain why patients respond particularly well to anti‑angiogenic therapies.

“Overall, the findings suggest that the pancreas supports the growth of gentler, less evolved tumor clones, which may explain the long survival seen in these patients,” said James Brugarolas, M.D., Ph.D., a Professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, Director of the Kidney Cancer Center, and the study’s senior author. “The results also highlight the value of assessing metastatic patterns and PBRM1 status when tailoring treatment, offering new guidance for clinicians managing metastatic kidney cancer.” ■

Education & Training

Collaborative Video-Based Learning Project Strengthens Foundations in First-Year Medical Education

learn foundational material by replacing several traditional lectures with short, collaboratively produced video modules.

The project brought together medical students, residents, fellows, and faculty to create streamlined videos using a structured prompt‑engineering workflow designed in the MedEd Innovation Studio. Students helped design and refine the workflow itself, shaping the staged process for developing learning objectives, scripts, and slides.

The goal: make complex hematology concepts clearer, more approachable, and easier to navigate ahead of case-based collaborative learning.

Faculty maintained oversight to ensure scientific accuracy and alignment with course goals, while generative AI was used as a support tool rather than an automated solution. Human review guided each phase of development.

Early results show strong student support. More than 90% of first-year learners said the videos were well organized, emphasized essential concepts, reduced unnecessary detail, and improved their preparation. Many praised the format in written comments and said they would welcome similar resources in other pre-clerkship courses.

“Used thoughtfully, AI can help scale curriculum development in ways that make meaningful trainee collaboration much more feasible,” said Natalie Bavli, M.D., an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology and Course Director. “It allows students, residents, and fellows to contribute substantively to script writing and slide development, while faculty maintain oversight of accuracy and educational quality.”

Leaders say the initiative highlights an emerging model for curriculum design that blends faculty expertise, learner partnership, and careful use of AI to create educational materials that are both pedagogically sound and practical to scale. ■

Personnel Updates

Mann Named Manager for Internal Medicine Fellowships

Jacy Mann, M.L.S, C-TAGME, has been named Manager of Education for Internal Medicine Fellowships, after serving as the Institutional Training Specialist in the Office of Graduate Medical Education (GME). 

In her new role, she will work closely with designated GME program coordinators to strengthen administrative operations, streamline processes, and support consistency across fellowship programs. She also will collaborate with Division leaders and the Vice Chair of Education to plan educational initiatives, guide wellness programming, and advance continuous improvement efforts across the Department’s expanding graduate medical education portfolio.

Ms. Mann earned a bachelor’s degree in art history from Baylor University and a master’s degree in art and culture from Southern Methodist University. Before joining UT Southwestern in 2019 as a GME Coordinator I in the Department of Radiology and then advancing to GME Coordinator II in the Division of Endocrinology, she served as the Education Manager at a nonprofit consulting firm, where she was instrumental in managing continuing education programs and developing curriculum. ■

Facilities Team Welcomes Jones as Project Manager

Bryan Jones Jr., M.B.A., has joined the Internal Medicine facilities team as Project Manager, bringing more than eight years of facilities management experience across higher education and research environments, including roles overseeing large-scale building operations, capital projects, maintenance programs, and safety compliance.

Mr. Jones holds a bachelor’s degree in communication from the University of Illinois, where he also earned his master’s degree in business. His background includes leading skilled trade teams, managing multimillion-dollar projects, improving preventive maintenance systems, strengthening budget performance, and implementing technology solutions that streamline operations and enhance efficiency. ■