Gary Cunningham, M.D.

Biography

Gary Cunningham, M.D., is a Professor in and Chairman Emeritus (1983-2004) of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology at UT Southwestern Medical Center. He is a member of the department’s Division of Maternal-Fetal Medicine (MFM).

Dr. Cunningham earned his medical degree at Louisiana State University School of Medicine. He completed a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at Louisiana State University Charity Hospital at New Orleans and received advanced training in maternal-fetal medicine through a research fellowship at UT Southwestern.

Certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology in maternal-fetal medicine, he joined the UT Southwestern faculty in 1973.

Dr. Cunningham is a world-recognized authority on the hematological and hypertensive disorders of pregnancy. From 1982 to 2006, he served as Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Parkland Memorial Hospital.

He was the chief author/editor of the textbook Williams Obstetrics from its 18th through 26th editions. He has published hundreds of academic articles and more than 100 book chapters and edited dozens of books.

Dr. Cunningham's clinical responsibilities are in the Parkland Health & Hospital System. He serves as attending physician in the Parkland obstetrical complications clinics, labor and delivery, and obstetrical operating room, where he oversees and mentors medical students, residents, and MFM fellows. Some of his residents and fellows have joined the UT Southwestern faculty, while others have become division chiefs, chairs, and deans of other medical schools.

He is a Fellow of the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and an examiner for the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology. He is a member of the American Gynecological & Obstetrical Society.

In 2021, he received the Luella Klein Lifetime Achievement Award from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. In 2016, UT Southwestern established the F. Gary Cunningham, M.D. Professorship in Obstetrics and Gynecology.