Foster's research focused for many years on the intermediary metabolism of carbohydrates and lipids. With his colleague, J. Denis McGarry, he discovered the
malonyl-CoA regulatory system for fatty acid oxidation and ketogenesis. Awards have included the
Banting Medal (1984), the Joslin Medal (1984), the Founders Medal of the
Southern Society for Clinical Investigation (1992) and the Lukens Award (1993). He has been named the Outstanding Clinician in the Field of Diabetes and Outstanding Physician Educator in the Field of Diabetes by the
American Diabetes Association. He received the Robert H. Williams Distinguished Chair of Medicine Award of the Association of Professors of Medicine in February 2001. He was named Great Teacher by the
National Institutes of Health in 2002. Foster was associate editor of the
Journal of Clinical Investigation from 1972 to 1977 and was editor of
Diabetes from 1978 to 1983. He is co-editor (with J.D. Wilson) of the 7th, 8th and 9th editions of the
Williams Textbook of Endocrinology and writes for a number of other textbooks. Foster was the host of the nationally televised program, "Daniel Foster, MD" for four seasons on the
Public Broadcasting Service. The weekly program was also shown on the
British Broadcasting Corporation. He was appointed to the President's Council on Bioethics by President Bush in January 2002 and was reappointed for a third term in 2005. He is a board member of the
Academy of Medicine, Engineering and Science of Texas and served as president in 2007. == Awards ==