The human body is like a puzzle, with all of its parts fitting together to complete a picture of health. When a piece goes missing or does not fit, the body’s systems may not work as they should. This is where a physician comes in, applying their expertise to solve the puzzle and help the patient feel healthy – and whole – again.
This perspective on the human body is what inspired Israa Ali, MD, to pursue endocrinology as her specialty, and what continues to drive her passion for patient care.
“It is a field where simple imbalances can have a profound effect,” she says. “Being able to identify those can help the patient to improve significantly.”
Originally from Iraq, where she completed medical school, Dr. Ali came to the United States 15 years ago and finished her residency at Wayne State University in Michigan. She arrived at UTMB in 2018 to serve as an Assistant Professor and Medical Director of the Powell Team in the Department of Internal Medicine.
After three years in the role, she decided to pursue an interest in endocrinology that had first sparked during her second year of medical school.
“When I was in primary care, I tried not to refer any patient to endocrinology because I wanted to manage them myself. That was when I knew, OK, it was time,” she says.
She began her endocrinology fellowship at UTMB so she could practice in the specialty full time. Following graduation, she rejoined as faculty in 2023 and now also serves as Ambulatory Medical Director for Town Center Subspecialty Clinics.
In her current practice, Dr. Ali is able to apply her knowledge to help patients with a wide variety of endocrine issues. She sees patients with diabetes, thyroid disease, adrenal conditions, pituitary conditions, osteoporosis, and endocrine disorders related to immunotherapy or cancer management.
“I do enjoy endocrinology because you can build a long relationship with your patients, and you get to enjoy treating complex medical conditions. I enjoy seeing patients with diabetes improve dramatically, or a patient with obesity improving, and their metabolic complications associated with obesity improving significantly.
“It changes their health, it changes their lives, and it changes their confidence also,” she says.
She is particularly passionate about metabolic and hormonal imbalance and weight management. Through UTMB’s weight management program, based at the League City Campus, Dr. Ali works with a multidisciplinary team to help patients with obesity and its related metabolic and non-metabolic complications. Their approach includes lifestyle changes, medical management, and referrals to bariatric surgery if appropriate.
Just as there are a variety of treatment pathways, there are several reasons why patients enter the program. Referrals come from areas like Sleep Medicine, for patients struggling with sleep apnea; Gastroenterology, for patients with fatty liver disease; and from Surgery and others, when their patients need to lose weight in order to safely have surgery.
The program began in 2023 and continues to accept new patients. Although weight management is a long-term process, the interdisciplinary team works to determine when each patient can transition back to management with their primary care, opening spots for new patients to enter.
Dr. Ali recognizes that physicians in every specialty feel gratified seeing their patients thrive, and endocrinology has been no exception in her experience.
“With weight management specifically, it's different. I see my patient dancing in the room, literally rounding, dancing happily because they lost weight. I have one patient who said they could not touch their toes for over 10 years – and now they are excited because they can touch their toes! It is very rewarding medicine,” she says.
The benefits go even deeper, as weight loss often means patients have life-changing or life-saving surgeries, or they can reduce the medications they take for conditions like diabetes and high blood pressure.
 | Israa Ali, MD, currently sees patients at the weight management clinic at League City Campus, UTMB Health Endocrinology Stark Diabetes Center at Town Center, and UTMB Health Angleton – Dave Bleakney Building. Learn more about the Division of Endocrinology at UTMB Health. |