Lani K. Ackerman, M.D., is a clinical professor in the Department of Clinical Sciences at the Tilman J. Fertitta Family College of Medicine. She is the director of Electives and the interim director of Advanced Clerkships. She is board certified in family medicine (American Board of Family Medicine), Geriatrics, Tropical and Travel Medicine (American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene) and is a Diplomate of the American Board of Quality Assurance and Utilization Review.

Ackerman will be overseeing the curriculum of courses for third and fourth year medical students in Advanced Clerkships and Electives. She will supervise students in the clinic and teach in a variety of areas, particularly in clinical skills and global health.

Previously, she developed the course curriculum, assessment, faculty and more as the director of Clinical Skills at Texas Christian University Burnett School of Medicine and taught medical students clinical skills in the classroom and student clinic. Ackerman has practiced full-scope family medicine (clinic, hospital and obstetrics) and taught medical students and residents for a majority of her more than 35 years long career.

Ackerman has dedicated her career to caring for the health needs and addressing wholistic health in underserved populations around the world, as well as training physicians how to practice in resource-limited environments. She spent eight years living and working in the Himalayas, starting a medical school in Nepal. While there, she also developed a non-profit Christian community development organization to address illiteracy, agriculture, veterinary, health and children’s outreach. Ackerman founded an orphanage in Nepal for which she continues to volunteer at today. She has held family medicine roles in residency faculty, program director and academic director. Most recently she was chair of family medicine and program director in a family medicine training program in China and led geriatric teaching in a local Chinese hospital.

She received her undergraduate degree and her doctor of medicine degree from Texas A&M University and Texas A&M College of Medicine. Her family medicine residency was completed at John Peter Smith Hospital Family Medicine Residency.  Ackerman has received numerous teaching and leadership awards in the U.S. and internationally, including a U.S. Consulate award (China), Outstanding Community Development Program (Institute for International Medicine) and several awards for Outstanding Clinical Professor. She has published numerous peer-review medical publications and book chapters on a variety of family medicine topics, global health topics and sustainable development. Ackerman speaks nationally and internationally on a variety of clinical topics with a focus on global health and international sustainable development.