UTSW Physiology Chair, molecular biologist elected to National Academy of Medicine
Duojia Pan, Ph.D., and Joshua Mendell, M.D., Ph.D., are UTSW’s 24th and 25th members of NAM, the most of any institution in Texas
DALLAS – Oct. 20, 2025 – Duojia Pan, Ph.D., Chair and Professor of Physiology at UT Southwestern Medical Center, and Joshua Mendell, M.D., Ph.D., Professor of Molecular Biology, have been elected to the National Academy of Medicine (NAM), one of the highest honors in the fields of health and medicine.
With the elections, UT Southwestern has 25 members of the National Academy of Medicine – more than any other institution in Texas – along with 24 members of the National Academy of Sciences (NAS) and 13 Howard Hughes Medical Institute (HHMI) Investigators.
Dr. Pan is recognized for advancing the understanding of the molecular pathways that regulate tissue growth and homeostasis, while Dr. Mendell has led pioneering research into the functions of noncoding RNAs in both normal physiology and diseases such as cancer. Both investigators are members of the Harold C. Simmons Comprehensive Cancer Center, where their discoveries continue to shape innovative approaches to cancer treatment and deepen our understanding of tumor biology.
“The elections of Dr. Mendell and Dr. Pan to the National Academy of Medicine reflect the depth and significance of their scientific contributions to our understanding of cancer biology,” said Daniel K. Podolsky, M.D., President of UT Southwestern and a member of the NAM. “Dr. Mendell’s work has illuminated the role of microRNAs in tumor development, leading to promising therapeutic strategies, while Dr. Pan’s discoveries related to tumor suppressor genes have advanced the use of targeted inhibitors to control cancer growth. This recognition underscores the impact of their research for its potential to ultimately lead to more effective therapies.”
Joshua Mendell, M.D., Ph.D.
Charles Cameron Sprague, M.D. Chair in Medical Science
Dr. Mendell, an HHMI Investigator, joined UT Southwestern in 2011 from the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He serves as Vice Chair in the Department of Molecular Biology and is a member of the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine.
The Mendell Lab investigates fundamental aspects of post-transcriptional gene regulation, noncoding RNA regulation and function, and the roles of these pathways in normal physiology, cancer, and other diseases. In 2005, he and his colleagues uncovered the first example of a vertebrate transcription factor that regulates the expression of microRNAs (miRNAs), a type of noncoding RNA. This study was important for establishing the principle that miRNAs have been functionally integrated into core cancer pathways.
Dr. Mendell’s team further defined the roles of miRNAs in several critical oncogenic and tumor suppressor pathways. They have translated these findings into novel therapeutic approaches, most notably through demonstrating that systemic delivery of miRNAs potently suppresses the growth of tumors in mouse cancer models without toxicity. Most recently, Dr. Mendell and his colleagues have used high-throughput approaches to investigate RNA biology and post-transcriptional regulation, a strategy they are now applying to diverse problems in the laboratory.
Dr. Mendell earned his undergraduate degree in biology from Cornell University and his Ph.D. and M.D. from Johns Hopkins. Previous honors include the Paul Marks Prize for Cancer Research (2019) and the Edith and Peter O’Donnell Award in Medicine from the Texas Academy of Medicine, Engineering, Science and Technology (2016).
“I am deeply honored to be elected to the National Academy of Medicine and join the ranks of the many accomplished UT Southwestern faculty who have previously been recognized with this distinction,” Dr. Mendell said. “This would not have been possible without the amazing trainees and staff who have worked in my laboratory over the last 20 years, as well as the support of our Chair, Eric Olson, Ph.D., my colleagues in the Department of Molecular Biology, and the broader UT Southwestern community. I feel very fortunate to have an opportunity to lead a research team at this remarkable institution.”
Duojia Pan, Ph.D.
Fouad A. and Val Imm Bashour Distinguished Chair in Physiology
Dr. Pan, who is also a member of the NAS and an HHMI Investigator, first joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 1998. Recruited to Johns Hopkins in 2004, he returned to UT Southwestern in 2016 as Chair of the Department of Physiology.
Dr. Pan is best known for his foundational discoveries of the Hippo signaling pathway that controls animal tissue growth. Using the fruit fly Drosophila as a model, the Pan Lab made a series of discoveries that defined, in a stepwise manner, the key molecular events in the Hippo signaling pathway. Most recently, his lab revealed a surprising role for Hippo signaling in regulating cell aggregation and density in a close unicellular relative of animals.
In addition, the Pan Lab elucidated the molecular function of the Tsc1 and Tsc2 tumor suppressor genes, linking Tsc1/Tsc2 to Rheb and TOR signaling. This work provided the key molecular insight for the use of mTOR inhibitors in the treatment of tuberous sclerosis, a genetic disease that can lead to tumor development in multiple tissues.
Dr. Pan earned his undergraduate degree in biochemistry from Peking University in 1988 and his Ph.D. from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1993. He completed his postdoctoral training at the University of California, Berkeley. Previous honors include the Passano Award (2022) and the Paul Marks Prize for Cancer Research (2013).
“I am deeply honored and humbled to be elected to the National Academy of Medicine,” Dr. Pan said. “This is a recognition of the creativity, hard work, and team efforts of my laboratory over the last 27 years. Our work started at UT Southwestern when I was an Assistant Professor. I am extremely grateful for the superb scientific environment at UT Southwestern.”
Founded in 1970 as the Institute of Medicine, the NAM is one of three academies that make up the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine in the United States. Operating under the 1863 Congressional charter of the National Academy of Sciences, the National Academies are private, nonprofit institutions that work outside of government to provide objective advice on matters of science, technology, and health.
For a complete list of NAM members at UTSW, please visit our Legacy of Excellence in Science & Medicine page.
Dr. Podolsky holds the Philip O’Bryan Montgomery, Jr., M.D. Distinguished Presidential Chair in Academic Administration and the Charles Cameron Sprague Distinguished Chair in Biomedical Science.
About UT Southwestern Medical Center
UT Southwestern, one of the nation’s premier academic medical centers, integrates pioneering biomedical research with exceptional clinical care and education. The institution’s faculty members have received six Nobel Prizes and include 24 members of the National Academy of Sciences, 25 members of the National Academy of Medicine, and 13 Howard Hughes Medical Institute Investigators. The full-time faculty of more than 3,200 is responsible for groundbreaking medical advances and is committed to translating science-driven research quickly to new clinical treatments. UT Southwestern physicians provide care in more than 80 specialties to more than 140,000 hospitalized patients, more than 360,000 emergency room cases, and oversee nearly 5.1 million outpatient visits a year.