E. Dale Abel, MD, PhD Honored by Association of Professors of Medicine and the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine
The UCLA Department of Medicine (DoM) is pleased to announce that E. Dale Abel, MD, PhD, chair and executive medical director of the department, is the recipient of the Association of Professors of Medicine (APM) Robert H. Williams, MD, Distinguished Chair of Medicine Award. This peer-nominated award recognizes a physician who has demonstrated outstanding leadership as the chair of a department of internal medicine. The APM will present Dr. Abel with his award in February during the 2026 APM Winter Meeting in Scottsdale, Ariz.
“It has been an honor and a privilege to lead a remarkable department, and it is meaningful that my peers across the country have chosen to recognize the work that we are doing in this way,” Dr. Abel said.
As chair of the UCLA DoM, Dr. Abel oversees one of the largest departments of medicine in the United States, with 14 divisions, 130 practice locations and 1,800 faculty. His four-year tenure at UCLA has been marked by the implementation of an ambitious strategic plan that is guiding the department’s missions to lead in innovation, transform care and advance health for all. Under his leadership, the department expanded access to UCLA’s nationally ranked primary and subspecialty programs to medically underserved populations across greater Los Angeles and Southern California by strengthening partnerships with federally qualified health centers and safety net hospitals. The department has actively supported the recruitment of new physician scientists across divisions, strengthened our commitment to the physician-scientist pipeline through the UCLA Specialty Training and Advanced Research (STAR) Program, witnessed record-breaking recruitment through residency and fellowship programs, and continued to see growth in clinical volume and services. Dr. Abel has maintained a focus on building community within the department and has managed unexpected crises, including the 2025 Southern California wildfires and ongoing challenges with federal research funding.
“This recognition is a reflection of the talent and dedication that members of the DoM bring to their work each day,” Dr. Abel said. “They have spearheaded initiatives that have advanced our leadership across our missions and strengthened our department and health system. I share this honor with them.”
Dr. Abel is a world-renowned endocrinologist and scientist who has received numerous accolades for his leadership, mentorship and research. He is the recipient of the Fred Conrad Koch Lifetime Achievement Award of the Endocrine Society; the Howard Morgan Award for Distinguished Achievement in Cardiovascular Sciences from the International Academy for Cardiovascular Sciences; the NIH Director’s Astute Clinician Lecture; and many more. He is an elected member of the American Association of Physicians, the American Society for Clinical Investigation, the American Clinical and Climatological Association, the National Academy of Medicine and the National Academy of Sciences. He is past president of the Endocrine Society and of the APM. His research program in endocrinology, diabetes and cardiovascular metabolism has been continuously funded by the NIH since 1995, and has also been supported by the American Heart Association, the American Diabetes Association and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, now known as Breakthrough T1D.
Please join the UCLA DoM in congratulating Dr. Abel on this achievement.
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