UT Southwestern faculty members Avneesh Chhabra, M.D., M.B.A.; James “Brad” Cutrell, M.D.; Thomas Dalton, M.D.; and Elizabeth Heitman, Ph.D., have been selected to join the UT System’s Kenneth I. Shine, M.D., Academy of Health Science Education in recognition of their outstanding teaching. New members will be inducted at the Academy’s annual Innovations in Health Science Education Conference, scheduled Feb. 20-21 in Austin.

Established in 2005, the Academy is named after Kenneth I. Shine, former UT System Executive Vice Chancellor of Health Affairs. The organization supports excellence in health science education, scholarship, and leadership. Nominations for Academy membership may come from the President, Dean, Vice Dean, or Faculty Senate at any of the eight health institutions in the UT System.

To date, more than 207 UT System educators have been inducted into the organization, including 35 current and former faculty members from UTSW. Congratulations to this year’s inductees:

Avneesh Chhabra, M.D., M.B.A.

Teaching others, researching complex problems, and providing exceptional clinical care are the passions that fuel Dr. Chhabra, UTSW Professor of Radiology and Orthopaedic Surgery, Chief of Radiology’s Musculoskeletal Radiology Division, and Chief of Musculoskeletal Imaging at Parkland Memorial Hospital.

“Effective teaching, mentoring, and coaching promotes excellence in health science learning and educational scholarship with consistent incremental growth of learners, team building, and leadership development,” he said. “There is nothing that gives me more joy in my professional career than simplifying subject matter and highlighting truth in concepts for trainees, endeavors I am highly devoted to.”

Dr. Chhabra advances patient care at the University Hospital Radiology Clinic, where he uses novel magnetic resonance neurography (MRN) techniques to map peripheral neuropathy in patients preparing for surgery and directs perineural nerve injections and ablations for such patients. His expertise in 3D MRI and multiparametric imaging using American College of Radiology-endorsed Reporting and Data Systems (RADS) guidelines is rapidly being translated into clinical practices for the improved diagnosis of meniscus, labrum, and rotator cuff injuries, bone and soft tissue sarcoma, infections, and axial spondyloarthritis.

As a frequent lecturer at conferences nationally and globally, Dr. Chhabra plans to utilize that experience in his work with the Shine Academy.

“It is truly a great privilege and pleasure to be inducted into the prestigious Shine Academy,” he said. “Having taught in many countries, it will be an honor to share ideas and work collaboratively with the esteemed faculty in the UT System to positively serve the Shine Academy mission going forward.”

Originally from India, Dr. Chhabra earned his Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (M.B.B.S.) degree at Maulana Azad Medical College in New Delhi. He completed his radiology residency at Delhi University’s Willington Hospital and then a diagnostic radiology residency at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia. Dr. Chhabra then received advanced training in musculoskeletal radiology through a fellowship program at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia. In 2021, he earned an Executive M.B.A. in health care leadership and management at UT Dallas. He also serves as a professional certified faculty coach at UT Southwestern.

James “Brad” Cutrell, M.D.

Dr. Cutrell, an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine, has been called a triple threat: a physician with exceptional clinical, educational, and leadership abilities. He is now eager to apply those skills to his work with the Shine Academy.

“It is truly an honor to be inducted into the Shine Academy, which includes many of the best educators from across the UT System,” he said. “It is especially exciting to join this group, since this is a vibrant organization actively engaged in innovation in the education space.”

Dr. Cutrell joined the UTSW faculty in 2013 and is the Director of the Infectious Diseases Fellowship Program and co-Director of the annual Updates in Internal Medicine course. He is currently leading the antibiotic stewardship program at UTSW in addition to providing clinical care in the UTSW Infectious Diseases faculty clinics and ID consult service. He also directs the Adult Fellowship Program for infectious diseases and specializes in the care of COVID-19 patients, outpatient parenteral antimicrobial therapy, cardiovascular and orthopedic infections, antimicrobial stewardship, and medical education.

In addition to his clinical work, Dr. Cutrell teaches medical students, residents, and fellows in infectious diseases, dedicated to the belief that collaboration leads to the best education.

“My colleagues – the faculty, fellows, ID pharmacists, and staff – in the Division of Infectious Diseases and Geographic Medicine inspire me every day to grow more as a clinician and teacher, to strive for excellence in our collective work, and to show deep respect and empathy for those we get to serve and train,” he said.

Dr. Cutrell earned his medical degree, completed internal medicine residency training and a year as Chief Resident, and finished a fellowship in infectious diseases at UTSW.

Thomas Dalton, M.D.

For Dr. Dalton, Associate Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine and a member of the Division of Geriatric Medicine, teaching is rooted in his philosophy that education should empower learners, spark their curiosity, and cultivate a desire for deep understanding.

“I always aim to create an environment where questions are welcomed and critical thinking is encouraged,” he said. “Above all, I emphasize the importance of grounding learning in a profound respect for our patients, recognizing that the ultimate goal of our education is to serve their needs with empathy and expertise.”

Dr. Dalton teaches and mentors medical students and serves on several committees dedicated to medical curricula, interprofessional education, and other topics. His clinical interests focused on older adults include acute care, perioperative care involving elective surgery, and building interprofessional teams to help patients and their families navigate the health care system.

It is that spirit of collaboration and teamwork that he will take with him to the Shine Academy, along with his gratitude for those who made it possible.

“Being inducted into the Shine Academy is an enormous honor,” he said. “I hope that it conveys my commitment to excellence in education. But I would also like to express tremendous gratitude to my mentors here at UTSW who have supported me over the past 20 years since I came to campus as a medical student and to my colleagues and teams, without whom productive educational work would not be possible.”

Originally from North Texas, Dr. Dalton attended medical school at UTSW, where he also completed an internal medicine residency. After serving an additional year as Chief Resident, he went to Duke University for a fellowship in geriatric medicine with a concentration in medical education.

Elizabeth Heitman, Ph.D.

Dr. Heitman, Professor in the Department of Psychiatry’s Division of Ethics and the Program in Ethics in Science and Medicine, is inspired to educate and mentor today’s students as tomorrow’s professionals. She also holds appointments in UT Southwestern School of Health Profession’s Department of Applied Clinical Research and in the Peter O’Donnell Jr. School of Public Health (OSPH).

“I interpret my work in graduate and postgraduate education as helping to develop future colleagues,” she said. “I truly enjoy working with adult students who are already, or who will soon become, members of the multidisciplinary academic community in the biomedical and health sciences. Some of my most rewarding teaching experiences have led to longer-term professional collaborations with former students.”

Dr. Heitman’s work focuses on cultural aspects of ethics in clinical medicine, biomedical science, and public health. She teaches research ethics and responsible conduct of research (RCR) in the Master of Science in Clinical Investigation program at OSPH, to students and postdoctoral fellows across the University, and is an ethics facilitator for medical students. She also leads ethics and RCR education for two training grants on cardiovascular health disparities research through the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, and she is Director/Multiple Principal Investigator (MPI) of two international research ethics education grants from the National Institutes of Health Fogarty International Center.

That experience, combined with her passion for education and collaboration, makes her ideally suited for the Shine Academy.

“Being inducted into the Shine Academy is a great honor,” she said. “I am particularly excited about the opportunity to work with the Academy’s Faculty Development Committee to support early-career faculty becoming skilled educators.”

Dr. Heitman received her Ph.D. in religious studies in 1988 from Rice University’s joint program in biomedical ethics with UT Houston Health Science Center. In 1990, she was a Visiting Research Fellow in the Centre of Medical Law and Ethics at King’s College, London.