Kevin O. Hwang, MD, is a professor of internal medicine at McGovern Medical School at UTHealth Houston where he sees patients and teaches residents. His academic work has appeared in leading medical journals. Nothing excites him more than chicken enchiladas, index cards, and appropriately sized packaging. The Regression Strain, his debut novel, has won multiple awards, including first place in the Thriller category in the 2025 Independent Author Network (IAN) Book of the Year Award contest, Gold Medal for General Thriller in the 2025 Readers' Favorite International Book Award Contest, Medical Thriller of the Year in the 2025 BestThrillers Book Awards contest, and Best Adventure in the 2025 Bookshelfie Awards. The novel earned Second Place in both the Medical Thriller and Dystopian - Viruses, Plagues & Zombies categories at the 2025 BookFest Awards. The Regression Strain is also shortlisted for both the Clue Award for Suspense and Thriller and the Global Thriller Award in the 2025 Chanticleer International Book Awards competition.