Dr. E. Dale Abel, chair of the UCLA department of medicine at the David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA, has been named the recipient of the 2026 Association of Professors of Medicine (APM) Dr. Robert H. Williams, Distinguished Chair of Medicine Award by the Alliance for Academic Internal Medicine (AAIM). The award is presented to a physician who has demonstrated outstanding leadership as the chair of an internal medicine department.
The award will be presented during the 2026 APM Winter Meeting, February 25-28, in Scottsdale, Arizona. The annual conference brings together chairs and administrative leaders in departments of internal medicine at medical schools and teaching hospitals in the U.S.
“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,” Abel said. “This recognition reflects the talent and dedication that members of the DoM bring to their work each day. 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.”
AAIM promotes the advancement and professional development of its 13,000 members who prepare the next generation of internal medicine physicians and leaders through education, research, engagement, and collaboration.
