Healthy Plates, Healthy Patients: Dr. Jaclyn Albin puts food at center of care

Published: September 8, 2025

When Dr. Jaclyn Albin discusses the future of medicine, she doesn’t spotlight a new drug or surgical technique. She starts with the dinner plate.

“We’re studying how food and lifestyle can be powerful tools in preventing and treating chronic disease,” said Albin, whose work spans clinical care, research, and education.

In one of her ongoing projects, medical students participate in hands-on culinary medicine classes, learning to cook nutritious meals and discuss strategies for helping patients make sustainable lifestyle changes.

“Medical education must equip future physicians to use nutrition and lifestyle medicine as part of patient care,” Albin said. “It’s not enough to simply teach the science. We need to prepare doctors to have meaningful conversations with patients about daily choices that impact health.”

Albin’s approach to patient care is equally practical. She has shown patients managing chronic conditions such as diabetes and celiac disease how realistic changes in diet can have a lasting impact on their health. These strategies are reinforced by partnerships with local food pantries and community organizations, building support networks that extend beyond the clinic walls.

In South Dallas, for example, Albin collaborates with churches and nonprofits to bring nutrition education directly into neighborhoods. Hosting classes in familiar, trusted community spaces encourages participation, and the lessons often ripple outward as attendees share what they’ve learned with family and friends. This community integration work is primarily community-based clinical care — a formal medical visit in community teaching kitchens that is covered by insurance.

“The most meaningful change happens when health care and communities work together,” Albin said. “It’s about creating environments where the healthy choice becomes the easy choice.”

Her research also explores barriers to behavior change, including financial stress, limited access to fresh foods, and cultural preferences. By integrating these insights into clinical care, Albin helps patients build realistic, sustainable routines.

“Every patient deserves a care plan that includes the access to nourishing food and empowerment ot make it a delicious, nutritious catalyst for health,” Albin said.

As she prepares for her delivery of the 10^th Annual Nader Legacy of Health Lectureship, Albin hopes to inspire clinicians, educators, and community leaders alike to view prevention as the foundation of effective health care. Her keynote address will offer actionable ideas attendees can take back to their own communities, helping make prevention a shared priority across the health spectrum.

Jaclyn Albin, MD, CCMS, DipABLM will deliver the 10^th Annual Nader Legacy of Health Lectureship on September 23, 2025, at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health. She is the Inaugural Director of the Culinary Medicine Program at University of Texas Southwestern, where she is an Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, Pediatrics, and Public Health. Albin also serves as Medical Director for Food as Medicine Innovation at the Center for Innovation and Value at Parkland Health.

Written by Kirsten Handler, communications lead at UTHealth Houston School of Public Health in Austin.