The University of Tennessee Health Science Center

02/06/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 02/06/2026 11:48

Palazzi Named Chair of Pediatrics at UT Health Sciences, Pediatrician-in-Chief at Le Bonheur Children’s

Debra L. Palazzi, MD, MEd, has been named the Dunavant Chair of Pediatrics at UT Health Science Center's College of Medicine and Pediatrician-in-Chief at Le Bonheur Children's Hospital. She will begin her new roles on July 1, 2026.

A nationally recognized leader in pediatric infectious diseases, Dr. Palazzi has dedicated her career to advancing clinical care, championing medical education and promoting scientific inquiry to benefit the care of children. Dr. Palazzi has demonstrated sustained professional leadership at the institutional and national levels, contributing to the growth and direction of the pediatric infectious diseases community. She currently serves as a professor of Pediatrics and division chief of Pediatric Infectious Diseases at Baylor College of Medicine and Texas Children's Hospital in Houston, and president of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society.
Dr. Palazzi attended Princeton University, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in molecular biology. She received her Doctor of Medicine from the University of North Carolina School of Medicine, followed by a pediatric residency at Carolinas Medical Center in Charlotte, North Carolina. She completed her pediatric infectious diseases fellowship at Baylor College of Medicine, and later earned a Master of Education with an emphasis in the Health Sciences from the University of Houston.

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