News Highlights - August 11, 2026
Announcements
Bavli Appointed Associate Vice Chair of Curricular Innovation
Natalie Bavli, M.D., an Assistant Professor in the Division of Hematology and Oncology, has been appointed Associate Vice Chair of Curricular Innovation, effective Sept. 1, which coincides with her promotion to Associate Professor.
In her new role, Dr. Bavli will work with departmental and medical school leaders to advance undergraduate medical education, strengthen coordination across clinical teaching sites, and enhance the medical student learning experience. Specifically, she will help identify and address gaps in undergraduate medical education while supporting curriculum development, assessment, and continuous quality improvement.
“Medical education is one of our Department’s most important responsibilities, and Dr. Bavli’s appointment to this newly established role reflects our commitment to continually strengthening that mission,” said Samir M. Parikh, M.D., Professor and Chair of Internal Medicine. “She brings a deep dedication to learners, a thoughtful approach to curricular innovation, and a proven record of educational leadership.”
Dr. Bavli’s responsibilities will also include fostering faculty development and educational scholarship, strengthening connections between undergraduate and graduate medical education, and helping the Department respond to emerging trends in medical education, technology, and competency-based training.
“I am confident Dr. Bavli will help us build stronger connections across the continuum of medical education while advancing our long-term vision for training the next generation of physicians,” said Salahuddin “Dino” Kazi, M.D., a Professor in the Division of Rheumatic Diseases, Vice Chair of Education, and Director of the Internal Medicine Residency program. “She has a clear understanding of the needs of today’s learners and a proven ability to translate ideas into educational programs that make a lasting impact.” ■
Dr. Parikh holds the Donald W. Seldin Distinguished Chair in Internal Medicine and the Ruth W. and Milton P. Levy, Sr. Chair in Molecular Nephrology.
Internal Medicine Faculty Members Help Launch Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center
The North Texas Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center (NT-ADRC), based at UT Southwestern, has rapidly established key research, clinical, and educational programs since its launch in April. Supported by a five-year, $23 million National Institute on Aging award, the center is one of only two Alzheimer’s Disease Research Centers in Texas and is part of a national network advancing research into Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias.
Under the leadership of Pedro Rosa-Neto, M.D., Ph.D., a Professor in the O’Donnell Brain Institute, the NT-ADRC brings together investigators from UT Southwestern, UT Dallas, and UT Arlington to study factors that contribute to Alzheimer’s disease, including cardiovascular and metabolic conditions such as hypertension. The center is also supporting clinical trials, biomarker discovery, community engagement, and investigator development.
Five Internal Medicine faculty members are playing key leadership roles in the center’s early success. Pictured, from left, are Ramona Rhodes, M.D., an Associate Professor in the Division of Geriatric Medicine, who co-leads the Outreach, Recruitment, and Engagement Core, which is expanding community awareness and participation in Alzheimer’s research across North Texas; Wanpen Vongpatanasin, M.D., a Professor in the Division of Cardiology and Director of its Hypertension Section, who co-leads the Research Education Component Core, which recently launched its first round of scholar and pilot project funding; John Giacona, Ph.D., PA-C, an Assistant Professor in the Division of Cardiology, who was selected as one of the inaugural REC Scholars; Wendy Wang, Ph.D., M.P.H., an Associate Professor in the Division of Cardiology, who is leading one of the center’s developmental research projects; and Rong Zhang, Ph.D., a Professor in the Division of Cardiology and the Institute for Exercise and Environmental Medicine at Texas Health Presbyterian Hospital Dallas, who serves alongside Dr. Vongpatanasin as co-leader of the Research Education Component Core.
Center leaders say the collaborative effort is designed to accelerate scientific discovery, foster the next generation of dementia researchers, and improve care for individuals and families affected by Alzheimer’s disease and related dementias throughout North Texas. ■
Dr. Vongpatanasin holds the Fredric L. Coe Professorship in Nephrolithiasis Research in Mineral Metabolism and the Norman and Audrey Kaplan Chair in Hypertension.
Research Report
New Recommendations Aim at Helping Clinicians Navigate Reproductive Health in Cystic Fibrosis
Raksha Jain, M.D., M.S.C.I., a Professor in the Division of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine and Medical Director of the Adult Cystic Fibrosis Program, led an international multidisciplinary effort to develop the first comprehensive reproductive health guidance for people with cystic fibrosis. Published as a Cystic Fibrosis Foundation position paper in The Lancet Respiratory Medicine, the document brings together evidence-based recommendations on reproductive health care delivery, contraception, fertility, pregnancy, and the effects of cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) modulators during pregnancy and lactation. Dr. Jain served as lead author and corresponding author, helping to shape guidance intended for clinicians, patients, and health care systems worldwide.
“The guidance reflects a changing landscape in cystic fibrosis care as advances in treatment have improved life expectancy and increased the number of individuals considering family building,” said Dr. Jain. “We recommend that reproductive health education begin at the time of diagnosis and continue throughout a patient’s life.”
The authors also highlight evidence that fertility may be improving among women with cystic fibrosis who receive CFTR modulator therapy, while most men with cystic fibrosis still require assisted reproductive technologies to achieve biological parenthood. Additional recommendations address contraception, genetic counseling, pregnancy management, diabetes screening, and newborn monitoring following in utero exposure to CFTR modulators.
The guidance could help standardize reproductive health discussions and care across cystic fibrosis centers, ensuring that patients receive consistent, evidence-based counseling about family planning and pregnancy.
“Closer monitoring during pregnancy, specialized diabetes screening, and coordinated care between cystic fibrosis specialists, reproductive health experts, and primary care providers may improve outcomes for both parents and infants,” Dr. Jain said. “With this publication, we have provided practical clinical tools and timelines designed to help care teams address reproductive health needs throughout a patient's lifespan.” ■
Dr. Jain is a Dedman Family Scholar in Clinical Care and holder of the Willis C. Maddrey, M.D. Distinguished Professorship in Clinical Science.
Study Finds High-Need Communities Often Lack Access to Social Needs Screening and Support
A new study led by Jessica I. Billig, M.D., M.Sc., an Assistant Professor in the Division of General Internal Medicine, found that adoption of social determinants of health (SDOH) screening and social needs-oriented supplemental benefits was limited among Medicare Advantage plans during the first year these services were permitted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services.
For the study, published in The American Journal of Managed Care, researchers analyzed 2024 Medicare Advantage plan benefit, enrollment, and Social Vulnerability Index data. They found that only 19.8% of plans screened beneficiaries for social determinants of health, representing approximately 12.2 million enrollees. Plans that conducted screening were substantially more likely to offer Special Supplemental Benefits for the Chronically Ill (SSBCI) that address needs such as food insecurity, transportation, and home modifications than plans that did not screen.
The researchers also found that adoption was highest among Special Needs Plans, particularly Dual-Eligible Special Needs Plans, where nearly 90% screened for social determinants of health. While plans offering both screening and social needs benefits were more likely to serve communities with greater social vulnerability, nearly 16% of the highest-need counties had no plans providing both services.
“As Medicare Advantage continues to expand, understanding how plans identify and address social needs is increasingly important,” Dr. Billig said. “Our findings suggest that while many plans are beginning to adopt these new approaches, there are still important opportunities to ensure beneficiaries in the highest-need communities are screened for social needs and can access services.”
Other General Internal Medicine faculty members who contributed to the study were Assistant Professor Joseph Joo, M.D., M.S., and Professor Joshua Liao, M.D., M.Sc. ■
Education & Training
Resident-Initiated Literary Journal Now Available
The sixth edition of The Healing Arts, a publication of original prose, poetry, photography, and artwork by residents, faculty, and staff, is now available.
This year’s theme, “Connection,” explores the relationships and shared experiences that shape life in medicine. In an editor’s note introducing the issue, the editors reflect on the many ways connection is woven into clinical practice and residency training, from patient encounters and sign-outs to conversations in hallways and shared meals.
“Connection shapes how we care for our patients, support one another, and make meaning of this work,” the editors wrote. “Each piece in this collection is an offering, an invitation from its creator to share an experience, a reflection, or a moment of humanity. Together, these works remind us that connection can be found not only in medicine, but also through storytelling, art, memory, and vulnerability.” ■
Personnel Update
Lynch Named Manager for Internal Medicine Fellowships
Kevin Lynch, B.A., C-TAGME, has been named Manager of Education for Internal Medicine Fellowships, effective August 24, after serving as GME Program Coordinator III in the Department of Otolaryngology.
Together with Jacy Mann, M.L.S., C-TAGME, also a Manager of Education for Internal Medicine Fellowships, he will work closely with designated GME program coordinators to strengthen administrative operations, streamline processes, and support consistency across fellowship programs. He 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.
Mr. Lynch brings more than 15 years of graduate medical education experience at UT Southwestern, where he has coordinated fellowship programs across Pediatrics and Otolaryngology. A Certified Training Administrator of Graduate Medical Education (C-TAGME) and recipient of the 2021 Graduate Medical Education Program Coordinator of the Year award, he has extensive experience in accreditation, recruitment, program administration, and coordinator development. His background positions him to strengthen operational consistency and support continued growth across the Department's fellowship programs.
Mr. Lynch holds a bachelor’s degree in communication technology with a minor in business from the University of Texas at Arlington. Before joining UT Southwestern in 2009 as a Records Specialist in the Department of Human Resources and progressing through a series of educational administration roles, he worked in records management for the Arlington Independent School District. ■