Clyde W. Yancy, M.D., M.Sc., returned to UT Southwestern this May to a hero’s welcome, visiting campus not only as a titan in the field of cardiology but as the first recipient of the Internal Medicine Distinguished Alumni Award. The new honor recognizes alumni for their lasting contributions to medicine.

As part of the award, Dr. Yancy, Chief and Magerstadt Professor of Cardiology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, delivered the inaugural Daniel W. Foster, M.D. Lecture during Internal Medicine Grand Rounds. The newly named annual lecture – made possible with generous support from the Internal Medicine Class of 1997 – honors the late Dr. Foster, the legendary department chair who led Internal Medicine from 1987 to 2003. Dr. Foster is credited with helping launch the Dallas Heart Study and recruiting numerous outstanding faculty to UT Southwestern.

“Being here feels like coming home,” Dr. Yancy told a packed audience of Internal Medicine alumni and faculty. “I’m grateful to be back where my journey began.”

Originally from Louisiana, Dr. Yancy earned his undergraduate degree at Southern University and completed medical school at Tulane University in 1982. He completed his internal medicine residency at UT Southwestern in 1985 where he also completed fellowship programs in cardiology (1989) and advanced heart failure transplant (1991).

During his time at UTSW, Dr. Yancy focused on reducing disparities in cardiovascular disease and mentoring the next generation of heart specialists. In 2003, the American Heart Association named him Physician of the Year. Dr. Yancy joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 1989, later becoming Associate Dean for Clinical Affairs and the Medical Director of the Heart Failure/Heart Transplant Program.

His national impact is far-reaching. He has served with the National Institutes of Health, the FDA, and the Department of Health and Human Services. He was elected to the National Academy of Medicine in 2016.

“Dr. Yancy has had success in every component of an academic medical career,” said Mark Drazner, M.D., Vice Chair of Clinical Affairs and the James M. Wooten Chair in Cardiology at UT Southwestern. “From patient care to teaching, he has received multiple awards. He is truly one of the most gifted teachers you will ever encounter in your medical career.”

Cardiology looks dramatically different today than it once did as Dr. Yancy describes what he calls “a spectacular journey in science and discovery.” Earlier approaches to treat heart failure were limited and largely ineffective. Today, physicians use a combination of pharmacological therapies – including beta-blockers and ACE inhibitors – and lifestyle changes, which have doubled survival rates.

Dr. Yancy urges colleagues to rethink how they speak about heart failure. “No one wants kidney failure, liver failure, or heart failure,” he said. “Let’s focus on function, not failure. Heart failure is now a treatable condition. We know what works, but too few patients get it.”

Dr. Yancy has spent much of his career doing just that. Looking to the future, he remains energized by what lies ahead in cardiovascular care. Gene therapy trials, new vaccines to fight heart failure-related inflammation, and the testing of CAR-T cell therapies, currently used in cancer, may reduce cardiac scar tissue.

“The future can only be achieved because of rigorous research, education, and a community of support to drive innovation forward,” Dr. Yancy said. “Advances like these would not be possible without the commitment of generous alumni and donors who believe in academic medicine and the power of discovery. The field is advancing rapidly, but continued progress depends on sustained investment.”

Similarly, Dr. Foster was committed to the education and training of students and residents, serving as Headmaster of the Academic Colleges at UT Southwestern. Never losing his pedagogical focus, he is still a beacon for generations of students.

“Dr. Foster and I were having lunch at the Faculty Club early in my career,” Dr. Yancy recalls. “When he leaned over, grabbed my shoulder, and said, ‘You know, Clyde, medicine is a noble profession, not because we are exalted or elevated above anyone. It’s noble because we do noble things. We touch people, we hold their lives in our hands, and we make a difference in the world.’

“Dr. Foster’s talk with me that day has stayed with me for an eternity.”

Dr. Foster’ legacy of excellence continues to leave an impression on others through Dr. Yancy.

“Dr. Yancy cast a long shadow on our class,” said Murali Chakinala, M.D. (Resident ’97). “His impeccable clinical acumen, profound teaching skills, and eloquent communication style inspired us to be the best clinicians, educators and researchers, while never losing our humanity toward our patients.”

In Dr. Yancy’s mind, however, the credit belongs to one of his earliest mentors, Dr. Foster and the institution where he began his career.

“Everything I’ve been able to do in my career—every patient I’ve helped, every student I’ve mentored—was built on the foundation I received at UT Southwestern,” Dr. Yancy said. “I’ve never forgotten the people who lifted me up,” he said. “This place made me who I am.”