Lisa de Ybarrondo, MD, FAAP

Biography

Lisa Edmiston de Ybarrondo, MD, FAAP, is an esteemed associate professor of pediatrics at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston, where she has dedicated more than three decades to advancing pediatric care, education, and community health. A board-certified pediatrician since 1993 and a fellow of the American Academy of Pediatrics, Dr. de Ybarrondo is widely recognized for her leadership in pediatric asthma care, medical education, and health equity.

Dr. de Ybarrondo earned her BS in Zoology from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her MD from the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston. She completed her pediatric residency and chief residency at McGovern Medical School (then named The University of Texas Health Science Center), where she has since held numerous academic and clinical leadership roles. Her clinical expertise spans general pediatrics, pediatric emergency medicine, and asthma management. She has served as Medical Director at multiple pediatric clinics, including the LBJ Pediatric Asthma Clinic and UT Physicians Heights Multispecialty Clinic. Her work has significantly improved asthma care protocols and health outcomes for underserved populations across Texas.

A passionate educator, Dr. de Ybarrondo has received the Dean’s Excellence in Teaching Award many times, has been recognized by the AAP for her participation in QI projects, and is a recipient of the Champions of Clinical Learning Environment Award. She has mentored generations of medical students and residents.

She is a national leader in pediatric asthma education, serving as an Asthma Faculty Champion for the National Environmental Education Foundation (NEEF) since 2006, training thousands of pediatric providers nationwide on the environmental management of pediatric asthma. She was a subject-matter expert and course co-developer for NEEF’s online training for health care providers and a reviewer, manuscript contributor for the updated version of the NEEF’s Management of Pediatric Asthma: Practice Guidelines for Health Care Providers, 2025.

Dr. de Ybarrondo’s scholarly contributions include peer-reviewed publications, book chapters, E-learning modules, and many regional and national presentations. She has been awarded numerous grants for asthma education from NEEF as well as the American Lung Association and the National Asthma Control Initiative.

She has led and participated in multiple quality improvement initiatives, including the AAP’s Safe and Healthy Beginnings Quality Improvement Initiative (introducing the use of the bilimeter for screening hyperbilirubinemia in the nursery and clinic, and promotion of breastfeeding). Other AAP-sponsored QI projects include Practicing Safety: A Child Abuse and Neglect Prevention Project, sponsored by the Quality Improvement Innovation Network (introducing the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale to a UTHealth Houston clinic for screening mothers for symptoms of depression), and the Chapter Quality Network (CQN), Improving Pediatric Asthma Care in Texas. Her commitment to community service is equally impressive, with decades of volunteer work ranging from disaster relief to pediatric summer camps and public health education. She has also been a trusted media consultant on pediatric health topics for NBC’s “2 Your Health” and other outlets.

Dr. de Ybarrondo’s career reflects a deep commitment to compassionate care, evidence-based practice, and the education of future pediatricians. Her work continues to shape the landscape of pediatric health in Texas and beyond.