2024 Spring STAR Educator Recipient: Jane Lynch MD
Jane Lynch, MD
Professor
Department of Pediatrics
Division of Pediatric Endocrinology & Diabetes
Nomination Submission:
Dr Lynch is one of our most outstanding educators, implementing a climate of inquisitive self-directed learning in students, residents and fellows. She serves as Chair of the Division of Pediatric Endocrinology and Director of the Fellowship program. In those roles she is not only an inspiring teacher but also a mentor for junior faculty and an exemplary role model.
Her encyclopedic clinical knowledge is shared with trainees in our Pediatric Endocrinology Fellowship Program for which she has been the Fellowship Director since 2006. She is ranked in the highest category for teaching excellence in her annual evaluations by our fellows, pediatric residents, medical students, and faculty.
I have learned much from her in my time at UTHSCSA especially regarding the care of children with diabetes. Dr. Lynch is not only the expert in pediatric diabetes at UTHSCSA but is recognized throughout the world as a leader in this field. She has authored several position papers for the American Academy of Pediatrics and numerous research manuscripts regarding diabetes in youth.
Her work at UTHSCSA is divided between research and teaching. Under her leadership, UT Health and UHS will again be featured in the news for participation in the launch of the dual-hormone insulin pump device that we are currently evaluating. Dr Lynch has been and continues to be instrumental in clinical training and participant enrollment into national trials using this dual-hormone pump for children with type 1 diabetes.
Her knowledge of research is fortified by her long-standing participation on longitudinal research studies and her acceptance onto global panels related to her expertise and constant availability to teach and present clinical and research data.
Her career began as a clinical investigator with the NIH Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT) study which demonstrated significant reductions in comorbidities associated with intensive diabetes management. She now has >30 years of clinical and research experience in the field of pediatric diabetes. She has remained focused on the spectrum of metabolic and clinical complications of obesity and diabetes in children and adolescents. She has been PI for several Pediatric Diabetes Consortium studies and an investigator for the NIH San Antonio Family Assessment of Metabolic Risk Indicators in Youth (SAFARI) study locally.
Her advocacy work includes the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development’s Initiative to Advance Pediatric Therapeutics Diabetes Working Group, leadership roles in the American Academy of Pediatrics and Diabetes professional organizations, local San Antonio Metro Health studies.
She is one of 2 US pediatric endocrinologists on a 14-member Global Expert Committee for Type 2 Diabetes that has published extensively on global T2 diabetes research needs for youth. Her research in San Antonio includes several Type 1 Diabetes immune intervention trials and she is one of only five national PIs for the pediatric bionic pancreas studies.
Based on her international reputation, outstanding clinical record, recognition for teaching excellence, service to the University, the American Academy of Pediatrics, and other professional organizations as well as her research accomplishments, I am honored to submit Dr. Jane Lynch for the STAR Educator Award.