Marlyn Mayo, M.D.

Biography

Marlyn Mayo, M.D., is a Professor of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center, and a member of its Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases.

She earned her medical degree from Baylor College of Medicine in Houston, and completed internal medicine residency training at the University of California, Irvine. She then received fellowship training in gastroenterology/hepatology at UT Southwestern.

Dr. Mayo became interested in autoimmune diseases of the liver because she found it very curious that the body would attack itself. Although she was initially interested in lupus and scleroderma, an attending physician she worked with during her residency inspired her to follow him into hepatology. Dr. Mayo then came to UT Southwestern to do research and work on the largest trial of patients with primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) at the time with Burton Combes, M.D., who started the liver unit at UT Southwestern. She had the opportunity to work with many patients as well as do basic lab research on the causes of PBC. Working in the area of PBC increased her interest in other cholestatic diseases (diseases resulting in accumulation of bile in the liver).

In addition to PBC, Dr Mayo also has interest and expertise in primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), and intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP).

Currently, Dr. Mayo's research focuses on the treatment of autoimmune and cholestatic liver diseases and their symptoms. She also conducts clinical trials of new treatments and has played a prominent role in establishing the treatment guidelines for physicians treating these diseases.

Not only does Dr. Mayo practice medicine, she also teaches it. She finds it fun to be involved in training of fellows and has many years of prior experience as the training director for the Division of Digestive and Liver Diseases.

She is very active in professional societies and frequently speaks at national and international conferences to educate other gastroenterologists and hepatologists. Most important, Dr. Mayo understands the value of active listening and good communication. To be an effective teacher and physician, she knows she must be able to listen to her students and patients and effectively explain issues to them. “Some patients know their bodies very well, and physicians can figure out their issue if they just listen,” she says.

Dr. Mayo has been included in D Magazine's Best Doctors list for multiple years.