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The UAB Department of Pediatrics has announced the residents selected as Pediatric Underserved and Global Health (PUGH) Scholars for the 2026-2027 academic year.
After recently stepping down as division director of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Division of Pediatric Neurology, Leon Dure, M.D., professor of pediatric neurology, is beginning a new chapter in his career, with plans to expand his international work while pursuing new approaches to pediatric neurological care closer to home.
Zhu-Tokita-Takenouchi-Kim, or ZTTK Syndrome, is a rare disease primarily identified in children and is characterized by intellectual disability, delayed musculoskeletal development, and multi-organ anomalies. The disease was discovered in 2016 by Erin Eun Young Ahn, Ph.D., a professor in the Department of Pathology Division of Molecular and Cellular Pathology, alongside her research team. Since then, Ahn has dedicated much of her career to researching the disease.
Lily Gutnik, M.D., MPH, assistant professor and vice chair for global surgery in the UAB Department of Surgery, has been appointed to a three-year term on the editorial board for the Annals of Surgical Oncology (ASO), serving in the journal's breast section.
George Green, Ph.D., is an assistant professor in the Department of Cell, Developmental, and Integrative Biology, whose research focuses on cancer immunology, neuro-oncology, and the gut–brain–tumor axis.
The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Department of Pediatrics is proud to recognize three residents as recipients of the 2025-2026 Best Resident Educator Awards. Presented by the Pediatrics Clerkship, the annual awards recognize residents who make a meaningful impact on medical students through teaching, mentorship and support during their Pediatric Clerkship Rotations.
Heersink School of Medicine student David Strickland has been selected as the recipient of the prestigious Sara Crews Finley, M.D., Endowed Leadership Scholarship for 2026. Awarded to medical students who excel academically and display outstanding leadership, integrity, and service, this annual full-tuition scholarship recognizes a rising third-year student who ranks in the top 25% of their class.
Most patients spend a significant amount of face time talking with their specialist. But in the field of radiology, providers work almost entirely behind the scenes, interpreting medical images to offer diagnoses and recommend treatment plans.
The UAB Department of Anesthesiology and Perioperative Medicine recently welcomed Cameron Lee, M.D., MSHA, as an assistant professor.
The UAB Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology recently welcomed Jonathan Reid Black, M.D., as an assistant professor.
Since 2023, medical students at the UAB Montgomery Regional Medical Campus have had a unique opportunity to see how medicine, public health, and policy intersect through the ADPH Summer Research Program. We spoke with Public Health Officer, Amber Clark-Brown, M.D., who has helped lead the initiative since joining the Alabama Department of Public Health (ADPH), to discuss the program's origins, goals, and impact as it celebrates its fourth year.
Andrew Crouse, Ph.D., director of Research and Operations at the UAB Hugh Kaul Precision Medicine Institute, will attend the Undiagnosed Hackathon Singapore, hosted by the Wilhelm Foundation and KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, Sept. 17–20. The event will focus on advancing solutions for individuals with complex medical conditions that remain undiagnosed.
The UAB Systems Pharmacology AI Research Center (SPARC) has launched the 2026 SPARC Drug Discovery CollaboFest, a collaborative challenge inviting multidisciplinary teams to turn promising biomedical insights into experimentally testable therapeutic strategies.
A mentorship program in the Division of Gynecologic Oncology in the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology is helping students at multiple stages of their academic journeys gain research experience and develop skills that can shape future careers in medicine and science.
The UAB Translational and Molecular Sciences (TMS) Training Program (T32) for predoctoral trainees has been renewed for another five years by the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of General Medical Sciences with an increased number of trainee slots. The program is co-directed by Rakesh Patel, Ph.D., and Mythreye Karthikeyan, Ph.D., both in Molecular and Cellular Pathology.
UAB Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation welcomes Stephanie Agtarap, Ph.D., to the faculty as an associate professor, bringing an accomplished record of research and interdisciplinary collaboration focused on improving psychosocial outcomes for individuals and families affected by traumatic brain injury.
The Department of Pediatrics is excited to welcome the newest cohort of Pediatric Residents Interested in Medical Education (PRIME) Scholars, a longitudinal program that equips pediatric, Med-Peds, genetics and child neurology residents with the skills to become excellent clinical teachers and medical education leaders. Over the course of their training, these scholars will engage in monthly group discussions, hands-on teaching practice with feedback and mentored education scholarship. Please join us in congratulating our incoming scholars:
The UAB Department of Radiation Oncology is introducing a new piece of technology that will treat hundreds of cancer patients each year. The new Halcyon radiation therapy system will simplify the treatment process and reduce time on the treatment table, improving the overall patient experience for radiation oncology patients.
In this installment, Jeremy Day, Ph.D., professor and vice chair for Strategic Planning and Recruitment in the Department of Neurobiology, discusses his research on the brain's reward system and how genetic insights are paving the way for targeted therapies.
In recognition of her outstanding scholarly productivity, adaptability, and commitment to advancing the department’s research, clinical, education, and service missions, the UAB Department of Family and Community Medicine recently named Jessica Jaiswal, Ph.D., MPH, as the 2026 Research Faculty Member of the Year.
Sarah Larson, M.D., has joined the Division of Pediatric Neurosurgery at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery as a pediatric neurosurgery fellow. Her practice is located at Children’s of Alabama.
James “Jim” West, M.D., has joined the University of Alabama at Birmingham Department of Neurosurgery as a neuroendovascular fellow.
As the new academic year gets underway, renovation on Volker Hall 5 has now concluded. The floor is fully open for student activity. The goal of these updates was to refresh the spaces students use often on VH5 and to bring the rest of the floor the same care the relaxation space received in 2023.
The week of July 27, 2026 marked the beginning of the medical school journey for Heersink School of Medicine’s newest class of incoming first-year medical students. Each year, the incoming class is welcomed to the school through new student orientation week, acquainting the students with the academic leadership, current student body, and the offices and teams that will contribute to their studies at Heersink School of Medicine.
The Department of Medical Education continues to highlight the committed and passionate teams that contribute to the mission of Heersink School of Medicine. One of the foundational support structures for Heersink students is the Learning Communities Program, and for each learning community, a faculty mentor provides coaching and leadership to the students under their guidance.
As the Department of Medical Education highlights the teams that educate our students and carry out the mission of Heersink School of Medicine, we want to turn to the individuals who manage the operations of our pre-clinical modules.
UAB Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation Robert B. Kyle Endowed Professor and Chair Vu Nguyen, M.D., MBA, has been elected to serve as vice president of the International Society of Physical and Rehabilitation Medicine, a global organization dedicated to advancing rehabilitation medicine, education, research, and advocacy for people with disabilities.
The Department of Pathology is thrilled to welcome three new faculty members in August. Awab Abdalhai, M.B.B.S., is joining the Division of Anatomic Pathology as an assistant professor, effective August 3, Tina I. Bui‑Bullock, Ph.D., is joining the Division of Laboratory Medicine as an assistant professor, effective August 3, and Krisztina Zita Lengyel, M.D., is joining the Division of Women’s Health as an assistant professor, effective August 17.
In 2023, UAB obtained a Lunaphore COMET™ platform, which assists researchers in the examination of many proteins and mRNA transcripts on histological tissues. The investment in this technology was made by the O'Neal Comprehensive Cancer Center at UAB and the Heersink School of Medicine Immunology Institute and I-4ward research focus area.
Demario S. Overstreet, Ph.D., assistant professor in the UAB Division of Gastrointestinal Surgery, has received a two-year (L30) Clinical Research Loan Repayment Program (LRP) award from the National Institute of General Medical Sciences. The highly competitive award renewal follows his previous L70 Research LRP award and supports his continued commitment to patient-oriented clinical and translational research. This award also marks his second consecutive award from the National Institutes of Health Loan Repayment Programs.