Named to honor the memory of Dr. Chatrchai Watanakunakorn, this award is given annually to an IDSA member or fellow in recognition of outstanding achievement in the clinical practice of infectious diseases.
Winners have spent most of their career working predominantly in direct clinical care, whether private practice or part of a health-system group. The recipient must be in clinical practice and exhibit excellence in one or more of the following areas: clinical care, clinical research, patient or community education, compassion, patient advocacy, general community service and service to a national or state infectious diseases society. Local recognition in medical journals, newspapers or magazines will also be taken into consideration.
2024 Winner: J. Martin Rodriguez, MD, FIDSA, FACP
J. Martin Rodriguez, MD, FIDSA, FACP, is an outstanding clinician, a role model for infectious diseases physicians and an exceptional medical educator. He has diagnosed many challenging medicine and ID cases; started an automatic ID consult process for bacteremia due to Staphylococcus aureus and for Enterococcus and Candida bloodstream infections; established the Outpatient Antimicrobial Program; and performed the first fecal microbiota transplant in his region.
Dr. Rodriguez is the inaugural Paul W. Burleson, MD, Endowed Professor in Internal Medicine and ID Division Director at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. Also, he is the Tinsley Harrison Clinical Scholar and Education/Quality Director of the Tinsley Harrison General Medicine Service, the flagship teaching service for the Department of Medicine.
As a teacher, Dr. Rodriguez delivers a weekly case conference that draws interdisciplinary faculty and health care professionals from across UAB. Seats in his case conferences fill quickly, and some people have to stand. Dr. Rodriguez’s energy, intellect and commitment to patients inspires medical students, ID fellows and faculty.
Dr. Rodriguez is also Co-Director of the UAB Undiagnosed Diseases Program, which is now part of the Undiagnosed Diseases Network, funded by the National Institutes of Health. In the past he has shared his expertise with IDSA colleagues by serving as a panelist on challenging cases at IDWeek meetings.
The UAB Outpatient Antimicrobial Program, which Dr. Rodriguez established, has treated more than 12,000 patients. The program has enabled earlier discharges and safer care for patients with fewer readmissions. He also expanded clinical services in the ambulatory and inpatient settings, significantly growing the volume of patients seen by the Division of Infectious Diseases.
Dr. Rodriguez has participated in clinical trials and collaborated with investigators in translational research. He has written chapters on infectious diseases for UpToDate and is an associate editor of DynaMed.
The UAB Department of Medicine and Division of Infectious Diseases has given Dr. Rodriguez nine Outstanding Teacher Awards and the UAB Heersink School of Medicine’s President’s Award for Excellence in Teaching. Dr. Rodriguez also has been an invited professor for the internationally recognized Gorgas Course in Tropical Medicine for more than 15 years.
The Society is pleased to honor Dr. Rodriguez with a 2024 Watanakunakorn Clinician Award for his commitment to patients with infectious diseases and his work to inspire medical students, infectious diseases fellows and faculty.
Past Watanakunakorn Clinician Award Winners
| 2023 | Karen C. Bloch, MPH, MD, FIDSA Richard C. Prokesch, MD, FIDSA |
| 2022 | Robin Dretler, MD, FIDSA Patty Wright, MD, FIDSA |
| 2021 | Steven W. Parker, MD, FIDSA |
| 2020 | Ronald G. Nahass, M.D., MHCM, FIDSA |
| 2019 | Virginia D. Banks, MD, MBA, FIDSA |
| 2018 | Barry J. Hartman, MD, FIDSA |
| 2017 | Douglas R. Osmon, MD, MPH, FIDSA |
| 2016 | Wilbert H. Mason, MD, MPH, FIDSA |
| 2015 | James Horton, MD, FIDSA |
| 2014 | Eliot W. Godofsky, MD |
| 2013 | Johan S. Bakken, MD, PhD and Thomas M. File, Jr., MD, MSc |
| 2012 | David N. Gilbert, MD, FIDSA |
| 2011 | Stan Deresinski, MD, FIDSA |
| 2010 | Marvin J. Tenenbaum, MD, FIDSA |
| 2009 | Lawrence J. Eron, MD, FIDSA |
| 2008 | Michael L. Butera, MD |
| 2007 | Timothy T. Kuberski, MD, FIDSA |
| 2006 | Barbara H. Wade, MD, FIDSA |
| 2005 | James S. Tan, MD |
| 2004 | Donald M. Poretz, MD |
| 2003 | Steven Jon Berman, MD, FACP and Richard N. Olans, MD |
| 2002 | William A. Agger, MD |
| 2001 | H. Gunner Deery, MD and Peter T. Frame, MD |
| 2000 | Martin C. McHenry, MD, MS and Chatrchai Watanakunakorn, MD |
| 1999 | Gonzalo Ballon-Landa, MD and Thomas G. Slama, MD |
| 1998 | David S. McKinsey, MD and Daniel J. Sexton, MD |
| 1997 | Ramon E. Moncada, MD |
| 1996 | George Atkinson, MD Pankey, MD and Alan D. Tice, MD |
| 1995 | Ellie J.C. Goldstein, MD |
| 1994 | George Thornton, MD |
| 1993 | Edward Septimus, MD |