Shawna Nesbitt, M.D.

Clinical Heart and Vascular Center

Internal Medicine - Hypertension
High Blood Pressure (Hypertension)

Biography

Shawna D. Nesbitt, M.D., M.S., a Professor in the Department of Internal Medicine at UT Southwestern Medical Center, is an expert in diagnosing and treating blood-pressure disorders – both hypertension and hypotension – particularly complex and refractory cases.

She serves as Medical Director of Parkland Health & Hospital System’s Hypertension Clinic, as well as Associate Dean of the Medical School’s Office of Student Diversity and Inclusion.

A Fellow of both the American Heart Association (AHA) Council on Hypertension and the American Society of Hypertension (ASH), Dr. Nesbitt is certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine.

She is also an ASH-certified clinical hypertension specialist and a certified national medical board examiner.

Dr. Nesbitt’s research interests include hypertension, hyperlipidemia, hypertension in African-Americans, oxidative stress, and the genetics of prehypertension.

She has published scores of scholarly articles, authored and co-authored a number of book chapters, and delivered many national and international invited lectures about these and related topics. She is currently involved in several clinical trials.

Named a 2016 D Magazine Best Doctor, Dr. Nesbitt is a past president of the International Society of Hypertension in Blacks and currently serves on the boards of directors for both the ASH and the AHA SouthWest Affiliate.

She was nominated for the AHA’s 2016 Louis B. Russell Award for Service in Healthcare Disparities to Minorities, named a 2014 Visionary in Diversity in Medicine by INSIGHT Into Diversity, and honored with Allstate Insurance’s 2004 Outstanding Individual in Science and Medicine Award.

Dr. Nesbitt earned her medical degree at Hahnemann University College of Medicine. She completed an internal medicine residency at Allegheny General Hospital and a fellowship in hypertension at the University of Michigan Hospitals and Health Centers.

She also holds an M.S. in clinical research design and statistical analysis from the University of Michigan School of Public Health, as well as a B.S. (cum laude) from Gannon University through its Accelerated Medicine Program.

Prior to joining the UT Southwestern faculty in 2001, Dr. Nesbitt served as an Assistant Professor in the University of Michigan’s Department of Internal Medicine.

Meet Dr. Nesbitt

Blood Pressure Specialist in Dallas

Dr. Nesbitt specializes in evaluating and treating people with blood pressure disorders – both high blood pressure (hypertension) and low blood pressure (hypotension) – particularly those with difficult-to-treat conditions and special issues not met by their primary care doctors.

She remembers listening to the adults in her family discuss their high blood pressure when she was a child.

“They always talked about going to the doctor for their blood pressure, but no one ever talked about it being controlled,” Dr. Nesbitt says. “I commonly saw strokes and heart disease in my African-American family and community, and even then, I recognized them as real, life-limiting conditions.”

She adds: “I knew that if I was going to be a doctor, I wanted to take care of people suffering from what I viewed as a major problem. It’s my passion, and as one of my mentors once told me, ‘If you follow your passion, excellence will always be there.’”

That excellence starts with thoroughly evaluating the whole patient – and then recognizing and correctly diagnosing any underlying causes of blood pressure disorders.

Treating the Whole Patient

Once she uncovers the cause of a patient’s high or low blood pressure, Dr. Nesbitt treats the condition in conjunction with the appropriate UT Southwestern specialists. These may include interventional radiologists, cardiologists, or urologists; endocrine surgeons; nephrologists; or movement disorders specialists.

“Hypertension and hypotension don’t occur in a vacuum; they occur in people who may have a lot of other medical issues going on at the same time – including things like anxiety, cancer treatment, and movement disorders such as Parkinson’s disease,” she says.

“This is why I really delve into working with patients who haven’t been able to control their blood pressure despite multiple treatments, and why I step back and review concurrent conditions and look for more obscure reasons for blood pressure problems.”

Named a D Magazine Best Doctor in 2016, Dr. Nesbitt is board certified and fellowship trained.

Education & Training

Graduate School - University of Michigan, School of Public Health (1997-1999)
Fellowship - University of Michigan Hospitals & Health Centers (1991-1992), Hypertension
Medical School - Hahnemann University College of Medicine (1984-1988)
Residency - Allegheny General Hospital- Internship Program (1989-1991), Internal Medicine
Internship - Allegheny General Hospital- Internship Program (1988-1989), Internal Medicine
Other Post Graduate Training - University of Michigan, School of Public Health (1997-1999)

Professional Associations & Affiliations

Member, International Society of Hypertension in Blacks
Member, Association of Black Cardiologist
Member, American Society of Hypertension
Member, American Heart Association
Member, American College of Physicians

Honors & Awards

American Heart Association Teaching Seminar on Cardiovascular Epidemiology 1994
Professional Development Seminar for Junior Women Faculty 2000
Fellow of the American Heart Association and the Council for High Blood Pressure Research 2002