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UNC’s McAllister Heart Institute founder and namesake Dr. Hugh “Chip” A. McAllister, Jr. passed away at his home in Houston, Texas on June 15, 2018.


UNC’s McAllister Heart Institute founder and namesake Dr. Hugh “Chip” A. McAllister, Jr. passed away at his home in Houston, Texas on June 15, 2018.

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Dr. Hugh “Chip” A. McAllister, Jr.

UNC’s McAllister Heart Institute founder and namesake Dr. Hugh “Chip” A. McAllister, Jr. passed away at his home in Houston, Texas on June 15, 2018. Dr. McAllister was a 1966 graduate of UNC’s School of Medicine. After obtaining his medical degree, he served 22 years in the military at the Armed Forces Institute of Pathology while holding multiple academic appointments. After retiring from the military in 1984, he joined the Texas Heart Institute as the founding Chair of the Department of Cardiovascular Pathology and went on to hold appointments at Baylor College of Medicine and the University of Texas Medical School.

Dr. McAllister received numerous awards recognizing his contributions to cardiac pathology including the Casimir Funk Award for outstanding work in the field of cardiovascular disease and the Silver Medallion of the Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia de Mexico, honoring him as a distinguished investigator in the field of cardiovascular disease. He received the “A” Professional Designator Award for his accomplishments within the Army Medical Department from the Surgeon General of the United States Army, and the Legion of Merit of the United States of America Award for outstanding service. In 2001, the Society for Cardiovascular Pathology recognized him with their Distinguished Achievement Award.

Dr. McAllister’s commitment to UNC was lifelong. He served as president of the UNC Medical Alumni Association and was a member of the Executive Committee of the Medical Foundation of North Carolina and the UNC Board of Visitors. In 1999, Dr. McAllister endowed a distinguished professorship in obstetrics and gynecology in memory of his father, who was also a graduate of UNC’s School of Medicine. In addition, he donated over 150 pieces of art to the Ackland Art Museum. In 2013, he received the Davie Award, the highest service award given by UNC’s trustees.

In 2009, Dr. McAllister made a donation to UNC’s School of Medicine to create the McAllister Heart Institute with the goal of creating one of the nation’s leading centers for cardiovascular research. Today the UNC McAllister Heart Institute hosts more than 45 labs that advance patient care. Its mission is to advance the care of patients with diseases of the heart, blood, and circulation by encouraging basic, preclinical, and applied research to unravel the causes of cardiovascular disease and to provide new tools for its diagnosis and treatment. Current McAllister Co-Directors Dr. Vicki Bautch and Dr. Rick Stouffer stated in tribute to Dr. McAllister that “all of us have been and will continue to be inspired by Chip’s vision and passion to build the leading center for cardiovascular research in the world here at UNC. Following a visit to campus in April, Chip shared with us that he was very pleased with the direction of UNC McAllister Heart Institute, and the innovative research that is being conducted to advance both basic knowledge and the care of all those who suffer from cardiovascular disease.” Learn more about Dr. McAllister.