When joining the UAB Medicine Leadership Development Office’s (LDO) Institute for Leadership Cohort 7 in Fall 2023, Marissa Keppley, MBA, who currently serves as Executive Administrator in the UAB Department of Urology, didn’t anticipate how transformative the experience would be, not just for her professional skill set, but for the relationships it cultivated.

What if the sugar we consume, or even the sugar our own bodies produce, could increase the risk of cancer? That’s the question driving groundbreaking research by Hyeyoung Nam, Ph.D., instructor in the UAB Department of Urology, who was recently honored with a Department of Defense (DoD) Concept Award for her study, “The Polyol Pathway Promotes Renal Cancer Tumorigenesis via Glucose-mediated Lipogenesis.”

The UAB General Surgery Residency Program has welcomed ten new trainees to the department and celebrated the graduation of its eight chief surgeons.

The UAB Precision Medicine Institute’s SUmmer in PREcision MEdicine (SUPREME) program is an immersive eight-week program that prepares medical students to navigate the uncertainties of rare diseases. Learn more from the most recent SUPREME cohort as they reflect on their journeys.

The UAB Department of Surgery’s Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery team highlights the dangers of red-light running and urges caution behind the wheel.

The University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Pediatrics is proud to announce that Sarah Novara, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Neurology and David Galloway, M.D., associate professor in the Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology and Nutrition, have been elected as voting members of the Graduate Medical Education Committee (GMEC).

The UAB Department of Neurology welcomed Felicia Hataway, M.D., to the faculty as assistant professor in the Division of Cerebrovascular Disease in July 2025.

The UAB Heersink School of Medicine welcomed 196 new students to the class of 2029 for New Student Orientation, held July 28–31. Throughout the week, incoming first-year medical students engaged in a variety of sessions and activities designed to equip them with the knowledge, resources, and support needed to begin their medical education confidently

On July 28, 2025, the newly constructed atrium for UAB Heersink School of Medicine’s Volker Hall opened its doors. After one year of construction, the brand-new space welcomed the incoming class of medical students for their first day of new student orientation. The opening of the atrium marks the completion of a major milestone to refresh Volker Hall and enhance the student experience for UAB’s medical students.

UAB Heersink School of Medicine aims to serve the state of Alabama and surrounding region through forward-thinking and patient-centered physician training of its medical students. Heersink School of Medicine’s regional campuses provide sites across the state that extend the school’s reach and embed its vision and values into the communities they serve. Lanita Carter, Ph.D., Dale Dickinson, Ph.D., and Britney Sellers, MPH, who have a combined 30+ years in their roles, provide crucial services to Heersink students in their path to become future physicians.

Victor Sung, M.D., professor in the UAB Department of Neurology, has been named the next director of the Division of Movement Disorders. Anthony Nicholas, M.D., Ph.D., who left UAB in May 2025, previously served as director of the Division since 2017.

In August 2025, UAB will celebrate the opening of a new Epilepsy Monitoring Unit (EMU), a facility that will more than double patient capacity, increase patient access to services, and enhance research and training opportunities.

Christina Lundeen, BSN, RN, a clinical care coordinator in the UAB Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery, has been named a 2025 Patient Experience Hero by UAB's Office of Patient Experience and Engagement.

Akanksha Malepati, a third-year medical student in the M.D. program at the UAB Heersink School of Medicine, is deeply engaged in ophthalmologic research that spans both systemic disease and pediatric trauma. With a sharp focus and a personal connection to her work, she brings a high level of commitment to every research endeavor she undertakes.

According to the 2025-2026 rankings released in July, UAB Medicine ranked nationally in five adult specialties and high performing in seven other specialties including diabetes and endocrinology.

A new study led by UAB Comprehensive Diabetes Center Associate Scientist Fernando Bril, M.D., provides the first evidence that MASLD prevalence is beginning to decrease in adults with diabetes in the U.S. for the first time in decades. However, this good news is overshadowed by the significant increase observed in liver fibrosis.

Alzheimer’s disease doesn’t impact all communities equally, and understanding why may be one of the most urgent questions in public health today. Chad Murchison, Ph.D., assistant professor in the UAB Departments of Neurology and Biostatistics, is helping unravel that mystery not through a microscope but through data.

A recent study authored by UAB researchers in the departments of Neurology, Medicine, and Epidemiology analyzed a decade of data to reveal that lack of access to stroke-related clinical trials may limit access to innovative treatments in geographic regions with high stroke burdens. Stroke is a leading cause of death and disability, affecting more than 795,000 people annually, with age-adjusted mortality rates varying widely by state.

We proudly celebrated the 2025 Radiology Awards at our All Hands meeting in July. With the whole department tuned in, it was a wonderful an opportunity to recognize the outstanding individuals who make the Department of Radiology such a remarkable place to work and grow. We are fortunate to have an incredible team whose talent, collaboration, and commitment elevate everything we do.

Jonah Barrett, a medical student working under the guidance of Jordan Perchik, M.D., assistant professor in the abdominal imaging section, recently co-authored a research study published in Academic Radiology titled “Documenting Disclosure: Limited Reporting of Generative AI Usage in Radiology Research Manuscripts.”

Hassan Ghomrawi, Ph.D., MPH, associate professor and vice chair for research and innovation in the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB), has been named treasurer of the Orthopedic Research Society's Strategies in Clinical Research section.

After a national search, Mark Dransfield, M.D., has been appointed chair of the UAB Department of Medicine, effective Sept. 1, 2025.

Four new fellows are set to join the UAB Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery this August as part of the 2025-2026 Trauma and Surgical Critical Care Fellowship.

Kristy Broman, M.D., MPH, an assistant professor in theUAB Department of Surgery’s Division of Surgical Oncology and a member of the UAB Institute for Cancer Outcomes and Survivorship, recently joined UAB MedCast alongside colleagues John Dubay, M.D., Ph.D., and Venkatesh Krishnasamy, M.D., to discuss percutaneous hepatic perfusion (PHP) for metastatic uveal melanoma.

What if a virtual reality headset could help detect rare forms of autism? That question led six biomedical engineering seniors at UAB to design a groundbreaking diagnostic tool and win first place among more than 60 teams at the university’s Senior Design Expo.

Michael Patton, Ph.D., a student in Heersink’s Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), recently defended his doctoral dissertation, an achievement that moves him one step closer to becoming a physician-scientist. His work with the Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute (PMI), under the mentorship of Matt Might, Ph.D., director for PMI, and William Byrd, Ph.D., associate director for PMI, played a central role in his Ph.D. journey.

Adeyi Oyedele, M.D., FRCPC, Division Director, Anatomic Pathology, will serve as section head of Gastrointestinal Pathology and director of the GI fellowship program, effective July 15.  

As summer winds down, many people are packing in one last trip before the season ends. Whether you're headed to the beach, mountains, or visiting family across the country, one thing can quickly turn a relaxing trip into an uncomfortable experience: the pressure that can build in your ears and sinuses during travel.

The UAB Department of Surgery’s Division of Trauma and Acute Care Surgery is committed to training and equipping the next generation of trauma surgeons through theTrauma and Surgical Critical Care Fellowship.

Falone Amoa, M.D., M.S., a PGY5 and Ph.D. candidate in the UAB Department of Pathology, has recently been named a Society of '67 Kinney Scholar by the Association for Academic Pathology (AAPath). This award is for pathology residents and medical students who demonstrate the potential for leadership in academic pathology. Amoa is 1 of 5 residents and 8 medical students selected from across the United States.